
Class 



Book 







Copyright^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



HANDBOOK 

OF 

(Btyvi&tx&n ©ostein* 




HANDBOOK 



OF 




Christian Doctrine 



BY 



Henry C. Graves, D. D. 

President of the Boston 
Evangelical Institute 



Prepared for the classroom and the use 
of students. This work is based upon 
the ''''Manual of Christian Theology" 
by Alvah Hovey, D. D., LL. D., with 
the special permission and approval of 
its author. it^^b^^^^^ 




PHILADELPHIA 



American Baptist Publication Society 



9 o 




THE LIBRARY OFJ 
CONGRESS, I 

Twi.. • 

NOV 25 1903 

a, 

COPY 5. I 

— im» a i i i mill 



COPYRIGHT 1903 BY THE 

AMERICAN BAPTIST 
PUBLICATION SOCIETY 

Published November 1, 1903 






ffrom tbe Society's own press 



TO 
UltaaJ? 1^oto*af t &.1QU, OTC 5B. 

WHO TAUGHT ME TO THINK 
AFTER HIM ON THE TRUTHS 
PERTAINI NG TO THE 

CHRISTIAN FAITH 



MY revered instructor in Christian Theology, 
Alvah Hovey, D. D., LL. D., generously 
granted me permission to use his "Manual of 
Christian Theology " in the construction of this 
handbook. His order and outline have been fol- 
lowed, with such changes as the intent of this vol- 
ume seemed to require. 

The purpose of my work is to present the ele- 
ments of Christian Doctrine in a form adapted to the 
classroom, and to the use of students who are be- 
ginners in the synthetic studies of biblical truth or 
are seeking for substance of doctrine that may be 
believed. A. H. Strong, D. D., LL. D., president of 
Rochester Theological Seminary, has kindly given 
me liberty to quote freely from his latest, the sev- 
enth, edition of "Systematic Theology. " Much 
help has been derived from the work of Prof. Sam- 
uel Harris, D.D., LL. D., entitled "God the Creator 
and Lord of All/' and from representatives of vari- 
ous schools of thought. But the limits of this book 
do not allow an extended list of authors consulted, 
and to whom indebtedness is acknowledged. 

H. C. G. 

Boston, Nov. i, 1903. 



Vll 



DEFINITIONS AND DIVISIONS OF THE SUBJECT . 13-16 

SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS ; DIVISIONS OF THE 

SUBJECT 15,16 

PART I 
THEOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF GOD 

PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING THE NEW TESTA- 
MENT SCRIPTURES 20-32 

PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING THE OLD TESTA- 
MENT 32-35 

INSPIRATION AND REVELATION 36-44 

THE NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD .... 44-48 

THE PURPOSE OF GOD 48-51 

PRESERVATION THROUGH THE SON AND PROVI- 
DENCE OF GOD 51-54 

PART II 

ANTHROPOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF MAN 

the nature of man 55-61 

The moral Constitution of Man as Re- 
lated to the Moral law 61-64 

ix 



x Contents 

The Character of Man, the nature and 
Extent of Sin 64-67 

Man's accountability for moral life and 
Conduct 67-69 

Man Guilty and condemned, theories Ex- 
amined 69-73 

Conditional Immortality, annihilation of 
the wicked, and the larger hope . . . 73-76 

Angelology, or the Doctrine of Angels . 76-82 

PART III 
christology, or the doctrine OF JESUS 

CHRIST, GOD-MAN 

The nature of Jesus Christ 83-91 

His Divinity and humanity as affected by 
the incarnation 91-96 

the work of Jesus Christ 96-101 

theories of the atonement 101-109 

concluding propositions, estimate of 

christ's atoning work i09-iii 

PART IV 

SOTERIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION 

RELATION OF CHRIST AND OF THE FATHER 

TO SALVATION. II2-ll6 

pneumatology, or the doctrine of the 

Holy spirit 116-118 



Contents xi 

WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN REGENERATION. 1 18-125 

RELATION OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY 

SPIRIT TO SANCTIFICATION 125-131 

RELATION OF TRUTH AND CHRISTIAN ACTION 

TO SANCTIFICATION I3I-I33 

PART V 

SERVICE AND ORDINANCES 

SOCIAL WORSHIP AND POSITIVE INSTITUTIONS. 134-140 

CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES 141-148 

EFFECT OF CHURCH LIFE 148-153 

PART VI 

ESCHATOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF 
FINAL ISSUES 

THE FUTURE STATE AND DESTINY OF BE- 
LIEVERS 154-161 

THE DESTINY OF UNBELIEVERS, CONCLUSION. 161-163 



4* *¥ * * 

I. DEFINITIONS AND DIVISIONS OF THE SUBJECT 

i. Christian doctrine treats of the Christian 
religion. It considers God in his relations to the 
universe and mankind.' Its text-book is the Bible. 

2. The Christian religion comprises the facts, 
principles and modes of action revealed by Christ, 
and apparent in a life of hearty service to God. It 
is both personal and institutional, a new life and 
a social unifying power. The term religion, ac- 
cording to Doctor Strong, is derived from relegere 
" to go over again, carefully to ponder," and, there- 
fore, with " reverent observance." The Christian 
religion is a life in God, and involves the exercise 
of the intellect, sensibilities, and will, or all the 
powers of the soul. Its first principle is holy affec- 
tion toward God. This is the condition of know- 
ing and serving him. Man is a religious being ; 
but he is truly religious only when he enters into 
living relation to God. Other religions may have 
portions of truth in them, but they are vitiated by 
fables and falsities. 

3. Christian doctrine, then, must be an exposi- 
tion of the principles of the Christian religion. It 

13 



14 Christian Doctrine 

must show what these principles are, how they 
are related to one another, and why they ought to 
be believed. 

4. To show what these principles are, the Scrip- 
tures of the Old and New Testament must be 
rightly interpreted. The Old Testament inter- 
preted by the New Testament will disclose their 
true relation the one to the other. Perfect success 
in exhibiting the agreement and interdependence 
of all Christian facts and principles is impossible. 
There are, doubtless, in some instances but par- 
tial revelations, and in all cases there is imperfect 
knowledge. The last appeal must always be to 
the word of God. 

5. The study of Christian doctrine is closely 
related to kindred studies. It depends for its facts 
and data upon biblical interpretation, the reve- 
lation of God in nature, history, psychology, and 
metaphysics. Its material thus derived avails in 
apologetics, polemics, and the study of the religious 
systems with which it is compared. 

6. In this study some things are of necessity to 
be assumed. (1) The normal action of the mind 
is trustworthy. A denial of this, as some think, is 
logically absurd. The validity of the denial must 
depend on the trustworthiness of mental action. 
But it must not be assumed that normal action is 
infallible. (2) The value of evidence is measured 
by its power to originate knowledge or belief. This 
is its only measure. The agreement of many minds 
emphasizes the certainty of this value. 



Definitions and Divisions i£ 

Remark i. Evidence may be divided into three 
kinds : a. What is furnished by direct cognition, as 
of spirit, power, and substance ; intuition, as of 
identity and difference of the whole and its parts ; 
belief, as that of space, time, the infinite ; b. what 
is furnished by perception or recollection, in either 
case the evidence being indubitable ; c. what is fur- 
nished by testimony or analogy; this kind of evidence 
is variable in force, and often simply probable. 

Remark 2. But judgment and conduct must fol- 
low the strongest evidence. Probability is the 
guide of life ; the strongest minds best perceive 
the force of probable evidence. 

7. Men have, or may have, some knowledge of 
God. They may know him in part, as they know 
many things in part. They may have, if not full 
knowledge, yet true knowledge. Agnosticism de- 
nies this (1) because our senses do not reveal God. 
But much knowledge, as of mental action, and 
causal energy, is not furnished by the senses ; (2) 
because the mind of man cannot grasp the infinite. 
But it cannot grasp the earth, the sun, the stars, 
yet it has some knowledge of these objects. Ag- 
nosticism is not the highest achievement of man. 

II. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS 

i. Against rashness in reasoning from the infinite 
to the finite. Infinite intelligence is imperfectly 
known. Hence one cannot infer that the works of 
the perfect God will be absolutely and unchangeably 
perfect ; that because God's love is perfect there can 



1 6 Christian Doctrine 

be no sin nor suffering in the world ; that man is not 
a free moral agent because God is sovereign. 

2. Against yielding to selfishness. Self-willed 
and disobedient men often blame God for their 
self-will and disobedience. 

3. Against yielding to pride of opinion. To con- 
fess error clears the way to know the truth. 

4. Against too high an estimate of philosophical 
speculation or scientific opinions. One is in danger 
who trusts reason rather than the word of God. 
Reason cannot dictate what is true ; its highest ex- 
ercise is to afTirm what God has revealed. 

5. The qualifications for study are mental, moral, 
religious or spiritual, and educational. There is 
need of a sound mind, candor, and reverence for 
the truth, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and an in- 
creasing knowledge of the Bible, psychology, phys- 
ical science, the history of religious thought, and 
the experience of the Holy Spirit's action in the soul. 

III. DIVISIONS OF THE SUBJECT 

Technically they are Theology, or the Doctrine of 
God ; Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man ; Christ- 
ology, or the Doctrine of Jesus Christ ; Soteriology, 
or the Doctrine of Salvation ; Pneumatology, or the 
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit; Ecclesiology, or the Doc- 
trine of the Christian Church ; Eschatology, or the 
Doctrine of the Last Things. This scheme may be 
called synthetic. It takes the facts, puts them in log- 
ical order, so that their relations ar^ readily seen. It 
is theocentric ; it starts from God and returns to God. 



PART I 
THEOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF GOD 

GOD is the infinite and absolutely perfect 
Being, source, preserver, and end of all 
beings and events. The knowledge of 
God's existence has been called a rational intui- 
tion ; it has been classed among the first truths, 
as space, time, right, final cause. Doctor Strong 
defines it thus: "The mind directly cognizes the 
existence of an infinite and absolute authority, 
perfection, personality, upon whom we are depend- 
ent and to whom we are responsible. " The the- 
istic hypothesis is reasonable and affords sufficient 
ground for belief in God. Dr. Samuel Harris de- 
clares that "the knowledge of God originates in 
spontaneous belief in God, Creator and Lord of 
all." 1 But discussion of the contents of this in- 
tuition, or of the corroborative arguments for belief 
in God, as the cosmological, teleological, anthro- 
pological, ontological, belong rather to the philos- 
ophy of theism than to biblical theology, or God 
as the subject of Christian doctrine. 

i. Revealed in Scripture. The Bible as distin- 
guished from nature is the source of theistic revela- 
tion. Our belief is that the sacred Scriptures are 

* Vol. I., p. 45 f. 

B 17 



1 8 Christian Doctrine 

records of the views of chosen men, who were en- 
lightened and guided in a supernatural way by 
the Spirit of God in doing their work as religious 
teachers. What they taught was a revelation from 
God. God is revealed in the writings of the Old 
and New Testaments. In these Scriptures we are 
brought face to face with a method of revelation 
which transcends the ordinary course of God in 
nature. It is objected (i) That in such a revela- 
tion God is a " respecter of persons." He thus 
gives to some men better knowledge of himself 
than he gives to others, whereas he should reveal 
himself in the same way to every human being. 
But this objection may be urged against the natural 
method of God's working, and it assumes that God 
is obliged to give the same, or equal, capacities to 
all moral beings, an assumption which contradicts 
the history of mankind. This objection also un- 
dervalues the importance of moral responsibility in 
the formation of moral character. God must hold 
men to the duties which spring out of their connec- 
tions with one another, as parents and children, 
teachers and pupils, ministers and the recipients of 
ministries. This method proves to be good, and to 
honor the moral nature of man. It is objected 
(2) That in making such a revelation God must act 
in a supernatural manner, and such action is in- 
credible. Order is supreme in God's action, and 
any account of his deviating from his usual method 
may be rejected as false. The answer to this is, 
a. That the action of God must be more like that 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 19 

of the human spirit than like that of physical force, 
Man can act upon the energies of nature and pro- 
duce unusual or unexpected results. God can 
surely do the same, and to a greater extent, b. 
That supernatural must be distinguished from un- 
natural, or contra-natural action. Revelation is 
not opposed to order in nature. The ratification 
of the teaching of Christ and his apostles is d£> 
scribed in such terms as " wonders, signs, powers, 
works that none but God can do," or " events 
that none but God can foreknow." They had no 
tendency to diminish confidence in the uniform- 
ity of natural law. 

2. Such Revelation Rational. There are good 
reasons for belief that such a revelation of God 
and his will as the Bible purports to furnish, is not 
impossible, nor incredible, nor improbable. It is not 
impossible, for the existence of a personal God 
above nature and able to direct its forces into new 
channels is possible. It is not incredible , for wise 
and sane men believe that it has been made. It is 
not improbable, for the existence of a personal God, 
willing to furnish men with more knowledge of him- 
self than they obtain from nature is probable. If 
there is a God it is not improbable that he is mer- 
ciful, and that he would make a special revelation 
of his mercy to those whose minds are darkened 
by sin. If there is a holy God his revelation might 
be given in such a form as to test and improve men's 
moral character. The Bible fulfills these conditions. 
We are, therefore, to investigate the claim of the 



20 Christian Doctrine 

Bible to be a revelation of God, feeling that there 
is no presumption against the truthfulness of that 
claim. A supernatural revelation is not to be con- 
sidered, before investigation, improbable. 

Our first proposition is : The New Testament 
Scriptures are trustworthy as historical records. 
The trustworthiness of primary historical records 
depends upon the opportunities of the writers to 
learn the truth ; on their powers of observation, 
memory, and expression ; on their desire to learn 
and report the truth ; on their number and essen- 
tial agreement ; on the consistency of their testi- 
mony with experience in similar circumstances. 
Applying these tests to the writers of the New 
Testament we find that their opportunities to learn 
the facts which they relate were complete. For 
(i) Christianity, as a historical religion, took its 
rise with the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, 
in Palestine, near the end of the third decade of 
our era ; (2) the several books of the New Testa- 
ment were written by disciples of Jesus, or by 
some of their associates, before the close of the 
first century of our era. Proof: there are no 
traces of the existence of this religion before the 
date mentioned (A. D. 28-30). One hundred years 
later (A. D. 130) it had spread over large provinces 
of the Roman Empire. 1 

1 See Pliny the Younger, " Epist." X., 97, q8; Tacitus, "Annals." XV., 
44; Suetonius, "Vita Neronis,' \ 16, and " Vita ClauJii," § 25; Juvenal, 
"Sat.," 1, 155, 157; Eusebius, " E. H.," IX., 9; Josephus, "Ant.," XVIII., 
3:3; E. C. Mitchell's "Critical Handbook of the Greek New Testament," 
2d ed., p. 20 f. ; Gieseler's "Ecc'l History," Vol. I., p. 66; Rawlinson's 
" Historical Evidences," Lecture VII. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 2 1 

All early Christian writers who refer to the 
matter, agree in stating that Jesus Christ was cru- 
cified by order of Pontius Pilate, procurator of 
Judea from A. D. 26 to 36. The appearance of 
Christianity as a historical religion is, therefore, 
assigned to the thirtieth year of our era, and the 
public ministry of Jesus to the three, or three and 
a half years preceding that date. 

Authorship and date of the New Testament 
writings. If the books of the New Testament 
were written by immediate disciples of Jesus, or 
by their associates, before the close of the first 
century, these writers had good opportunities to 
know the truth of what they wrote. The Apostle 
Paul was converted within a few years, four or 
five, after Jesus' death, and was acquainted with 
some of his disciples. Educated in Jerusalem, in- 
telligent and conscientious, he must have known 
the essential facts concerning Jesus ; the most im- 
portant of these he claims were revealed to him. 
There is no reason to suppose that he was misin- 
formed as to Christ and his ministry. Thirteen 
Epistles were attributed to Paul. They were un- 
disputed in the time of Eusebius (A. D. 300). They 
appeared in the earliest versions of the New Testa- 
ment. 1 and 2 Thessalonians were probably writ- 
ten in A. D. 52 or 53. 1 and 2 Corinthians, Gala- 
tians, and Romans, in A. D. 57 or 58. Colossians, 
Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon, in A. D. 61 
or 62. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus about A. D. 66 
or 67. The second group (1 and 2 Corinthians, 



22 Christian Doctrine 

Galatians, and Romans) has been received by lead- 
ers of destructive criticism as genuine. In these let- 
ters Paul's testimony concerning Jesus Christ is of 
his pre-existence (i Cor. 10 : 4) ; of his incarnation 
(Gal. 4:4); of his being born of the seed of David, 
according to the flesh, but declared Son of God in 
power, by resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1 : 4); of 
his being without sin (2 Cor. 5 : 21) ; yet made sin, 
made a curse, by suffering death in behalf of sinners 
(2 Cor. 5 : 14, 21 ; Gal. 3 : 13) ; of his instituting the 
holy Supper as a memorial of his death (1 Cor. 11 : 
23-26) ; of his resurrection (1 Cor. 15 : 3-1 1) ; of his 
being now the head of the body of which believers 
in him are members (1 Cor. 12 : 12, 27). 

The remaining Epistles of Paul, the first Epistle 
of Peter, the first Epistle of John, the four Gospels, 
and the Acts of the Apostles, were received as 
genuine by all the churches in the time of Eusebius. 1 
The authenticity of the other books of the New 
Testament, the Epistle to the Hebrews, of James, 
the second Epistle of Peter, 2 and 3 John, and 
Revelation need not be discussed here. It is enough 
to claim that they add to the evidence of the super- 
natural origin of Christianity. The trustworthiness 
of the Gospels is a matter of deepest interest. Their 
claim to our confidence as historical records is estab- 
lished by several considerations. (1) Early Chris- 
tian literature leads to the conclusion that they 
were all written before the end of the first Chris- 
tian century. Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, refers to the 

1 See Westcott, Green, Bissell, Davidson, Mitcheil, and others. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 23 

memorabilia of the apostles, in which were " taught 
all things concerning our Saviour, Jesus Christ." 1 
"The memorabilia," he said, " were composed by 
the apostles and those who followed them." 2 Ter- 
tullian, A. D. 200, says of the apostles, " John and 
Matthew implant faith in us, Luke and Mark refresh 
it." Tatian, a contemporary of Justin Martyr, com- 
posed the "Diatessaron," based on the four Gospels. 
Irenasus argues that the perfection of the gospel 
record demanded four narratives of the Lord's life. 3 

(2) All the early versions of the New Testament 
known to scholars contain the four Gospels. The 
earliest version was probably not later than A. D. 
170. Ludovicus Antonio Muratori, director of the 
library at Milan, published in 1740 the "Fragment 
on the Canon," written about A. D. 170, and refer- 
ing to the Gospel of Mark, of Luke, and to the 
fourth Gospel as written by John. While none of 
these versions belongs to the first century, they 
afford clear evidence of the general Christian belief 
from the middle of the second century onward. 

(3) The historical trustworthiness of the fourth 
Gospel has been satisfactorily vindicated. There 
seem to be no valid grounds for denying that it 
was written in the last years of the first century. 
Tatian, A. D. 155-170; Basilides, A. D. 130; and 
Valentinus, A. D. 150, quote from it.* (4) Critical 
scholars do not now discredit the belief that the 

1 "Apol.," I., 33. 2 " Dialogue with Trypho." 

3 Authors : Norton, " Genuineness of the Gospels " ; Teschendorf, " When 
Were the Four Gospels Written? " Westcott, " Introduction to the Study of 
the Four Gospels." 

* See Fisher, Ezra Abbott, Hovey, Sanday, Westcott, Weiss, Luthardt. 



24 Christian Doctrine 

synoptical Gospels were written in the first cen- 
tury. There is some difference of opinion as to 
their relations one to another. 1 The records are 
diverse, yet harmonious. They are like four por- 
traits of the same original, taken by different 
artists. The Gospels prove that the evangelists 
were men of good judgment, upright, sincere, and 
earnest. They suggest no evidence that they were 
false witnesses. The Gospels contain abundant 
proof of their historical trustworthiness ; they 
clearly state facts ; no motive appears which would 
have led dishonest men to write as they wrote. 
The second proposition is : The New Testament 
Scriptures, especially the Gospels, prove that Jesus 
Christ was an infallible teacher. He taught truth 
with no mixture of error. In proof of the inerrancy 
of Christ's teaching it is proper to survey the claims 
he put forth as a teacher, (i) What did he claim 
to know ? He claimed to know heavenly things di- 
rectly (John 3 : 11-13 ; 8 : 38) ; the divine Father 
directly (Matt. 11 : 27 ; John 6 : 46 ; 7 : 28, 29 ; 8 : 
55 ; 10 : 15 ; 17 : 10-12) ; that his words were his 
Father's words (John 7 : 16 ; 8 : 28 ; 12 : 49 ; 14 : 
10-24; l 7 ■ 8), and were immutably true (Mark 
13:31; John 14 : 6) ; he claimed to be one with 
the Father (John 10 : 30-38 ; 17 : 10-22) ; to do 
always the will of the Father (John 8 : 29) ; to 
know all that the Father knows, at least in the 
matter of human salvation (John 5 : 20). He 
claimed that his teaching was his Father's teach- 

1 Doctor Strong, "Systematic Theology, "p. 74. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 25* 

ing, and therefore free from error. (2) How did he 
teach ? a. He spoke in the first person singular, 
and in language of divine authority. There are 
but seven exceptions to the former statement on 
record (John 3:11; 4 : 22 ; 9 : 4 ; 14 : 20 ; 17 : 
11, 21, 22). In four of these Jesus associates him- 
self with the Father ; the other three are to be ex- 
plained without assuming that he ranked any human 
teacher his peer, or that his words needed confirma- 
tion by man. b. He spake as if he were the final and 
perfect teacher (Matt. 5:17; 19 : 8, 9 ; Mark 13:31; 
Luke 21 : 33). The apparent exception (John 16 : 
13-15), means that the Paraclete was to take of the 
things of Christ and show them to the disciples, as 
they were prepared to receive them. He represented 
the salvation of men as depending on their treatment 
of his words (Mark 8 : 38 ; Luke 9 : 26 ; John 12 : 48 ; 
14 : 23 ; 15:7). He spoke as the perfect master of 
the situation, the occasion, the theme, never con- 
fessing error or doubt. But he declared himself 
meek and lowly in heart, willing to do the humblest 
service for mankind, ever obedient to his Father's 
will, an example of moral perfection in a sinful world, 
teaching men duty by his own acts as well as words. 
He showed no trace of pride, fanaticism, or self- 
seeking in his ministry. The highest importance 
therefore is to be attached to what he said of his 
teaching and conduct (Matt. 11 : 29 ; John 13 : 4— 
13 ; 5 : 30; 6 : 38; 7 : 18; 4 : 34). 1 

1 Authors: Ullmann, Bushnell, Dorner, Hovey, Schaff, Young, Seeley, 
Parker, C. A. Row, W. L. Alexander, 



26 Christian Doctrine 

His claims are confirmed by the following facts : 
(i) His disciples were convinced of their rightful- 
ness, a. They ascribe to him perfect knowledge 
(Matt. 9:4; Mark 2:8; John 2 : 24, 25 ; Acts 

1 : 24 ; Rev. 2 : 23 ; John 16 : 30 ; 21 : 17 ; 6 : 
64 ; 18 : 4. b. They declare him to be full of 
truth and the source of truth (John 1 : 14, 16). 
c. They preach his doctrine as pre-eminently the 
truth (2 Cor. 4 : 2f. ; Gal. 2:5; Eph. 4 : 21 ; 

2 Tim. 2:15). (2) Readers of the Gospels have 
been convinced of their truthfulness. The total 
impression made by testimony of the Gospels 
has generally had this effect ; the value of such 
testimony cannot be easily overrated. It depends 
on the prominent features of the narratives, and 
can readily be appreciated. Indeed, the evan- 
gelists do not seem to attempt to prove the moral 
perfection of Jesus. (See Matt. 19 : 17 ; 8 : 25- 
34; Mark n : 12-14; Luke 24 : 28). (3) His 
doctrines agree with his claims. This appears 
from their simplicity, self-consistency, moral purity, 
comprehensiveness, practicalness, and good influ- 
ence. (4) Many predictions made by him have 
been fulfilled. Jesus predicted his own death and 
resurrection (Matt. 12 : 40 ; 16 : 21-23 ; 17 : 22, 
23 ; 20 : 17-19, 22, 23 ; 26 : 2 ; Mark 10 : 36-39 ; 
Luke 9 : 44 ; 12 : 50 ; 13 : 33 ; 17 : 22, 25 ; John 
2 : 19-22 ; John 12 : 7, 23, 32-34). He predicted 
his desertion by his disciples, his betrayal, his 
denial (Mark 14:18-21, 72; Matt. 26:31-34; 
John 13 : 11, 18-26), and other facts concerning 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 27 

his disciples (Matt. 20 : 23 ; 10 : 17-22 ; John 21 : 
18 ; Mark 14 : 13-16). He foretold the destruction 
of Jerusalem (Matt. 24 : 2, 4, 5, 23-26 ; Mark 13 : 
14; Luke 21 : 12, 16, 20 f.). The fulfillment of 
these predictions is good reason for believing that 
all his teaching was true. 1 (5) Many miracles were 
wrought by him. Miracles as noted in the New 
Testament are changes in nature which must be 
ascribed to divine agency ; they are events in the 
world of sense, which should be ascribed to ex- 
traordinary action on the part of God. 2 The mira- 
cles of Christ reveal his character and spirit, and are 
thus a part of his teaching ; they attest the truth of 
his claims ; they ratify his authority (Matt. 11:21; 
Mark 2 : 10, 1 1 ; John 2:23; 3:2; 5 : 36, 37); and 
are for a religious purpose. Miracles are called in the 
New Testament, works, powers, wonders, signs. 

Objections against the credibility of miracles : 
(1) Man's predisposition to believe in them. But 
the reply is that every normal bias of the mind 
points toward the truth, and wisely followed leads 
to the truth. 3 (2) The observed uniformity of 
nature. But the reply is that the order of nature 
is as truly modified by the free act of man as 
by a miracle. God, the Supreme mind, may con- 
trol, supplement, overpower, or supersede the forces 
of nature for his own purpose, especially to re- 
store the moral order, which man has subverted. 



1 See Eusebius, Robinson, and Broadus, on Matt. 24 : 16. 

2 See Doctor Strong, "Systematic The< 
The Miracles of Christ," etc. 

3 See Butler, "Analogy," B. XI., Chap. 7. 



2 See Doctor Strong, "Systematic Theology," p. 61; Doctor Hovey, 
" The Miracles of Christ," etc. 



28 Christian Doctrine 

(3) The certainty that God's works are perfect. 
But the reply may be that it is not self-evident that 
the world, complete in itself, needs no care or 
help. Moral beings, trained by moral influences, 
may need divine interposition ; natural forces 
made to bend to the exigencies of moral order, do 
not of necessity indicate imperfection in God's 
method. A created universe can be no barrier to 
God. 1 (4) The fact that God is only a blind force 
immanent in all things. But we reply, this is a 
statement against theism, rather than against mira- 
cles. Pantheism as well as atheism is rejection of 
the Christian religion. Pantheism we believe to be 
false, and its inferences worthless. All objections to 
miracles are without force, when placed beside the 
facts pertaining to Jesus Christ. The New Testa- 
ment and Christianity are unaccountable apart from 
the actual life and ministry of Jesus Christ. 

As to the proof of his miracles or wonderful 
works, it may be said, the number of witnesses is 
sufficient, their integrity above suspicion, their 
powers of observation and memory excellent, their 
testimony positive, independent, harmonious, and 
their references to attendant circumstances numer- 
ous and natural. The phenomena which they 
attest are sensible, the aim of Christ's ministry 
was divine, and often his teaching is represented as 
growing out of his miracles. No one who was 
present is known to have denied the events re- 
corded by the evangelists. In view, then, of the 

1 See R. Rothe, " Still Hours," p. 824 f. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 29 

claims of Jesus, and the facts which support his 
claims, the conclusion is that Jesus Christ is the 
Leader and Perfecter of the Christian faith, the 
Light of the world, and an infallible Teacher. All 
his words are to be believed to be true according to 
the sense and purpose with which he used them. 
The interpretation of his word and work may be 
a difficult task, but the resulting truth is pure and 
sanctifying. What then he taught, concerning the 
message his disciples were to tell the world, is to 
be learned by study of his words, and explained 
by the conduct of those who published them. 

Third proposition : The New Testament Scrip- 
tures, especially the Gospels, prove that Jesus 
Christ promised the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 
to his apostles, by whom, with some of their as- 
sociates, the New Testament was written. The 
word inspiration is here used to signify a work 
of the Holy Spirit upon the mind and heart, the 
intellect and the affections. It affects the whole 
spiritual being, the understanding, the memory, 
the feelings, the will. It imparts moral sensitive- 
ness, courage, fairness, purpose, energy. It em- 
powers the inner man to do rightly a difficult and 
sacred work. It assists the mind in recalling and 
comprehending religious truth, and in presenting 
it effectively to man. The promise of inspiration 
made to the apostles is found in Matt. 10 : 19, 
20; Mark 13 : 11; Luke 12:11, 12; John 14: 
15-17, 26 ; 15 : 26, 27 ; 16 : 7-15 ; Acts 1 : 5, 8. 
The Spirit was given to assist the apostles in mak- 



jo Christian Doctrine 

ing apology before rulers, in defense of themselves 
and Christianity. 

The Spirit was further given to assist in all the min- 
istry and teaching of Christian truth (John 14 : 26; 
15 :26; 16:7, 13-17). These passages prove (1) That 
the Holy Spirit would be the advocate of the Father 
and the Son in and with the apostles. (2) That the 
Spirit would bring to their remembrance all that 
Jesus had said to them (John 14 : 26 ; 16 : 14, 15). 
(3) That the Spirit would show them "the things to 
come," thus assuring them of prophetic inspiration, 
of light through the Spirit as to future events in 
the reign of Christ. (4) That the Spirit "would 
teach them all things," "guide them into all the 
truth " concerning Christ and his redemptive work, 
or all the truth which belongs to revealed religion. 
These promises appear to be meant for apostles 
only, since they were addressed to them only, and 
assured them of endowment for their special work, 
and since history forbids us to suppose them meant 
for all Christians. Yet it is doubtless true that 
some expressions in the promises of Jesus to the 
apostles have been fulfilled to other Christians. 
(See John 14:16; 16:8-11.) It is also clear 
from John 7 : 38, 39, and Acts 2 : 17-21, that 
the work of the Holy Spirit was to be widely ex- 
tended and powerful among believers in Christ 
after his ascension. But Paul's discussion of spirit- 
ual gifts in 1 Cor. 12, 13, 14 teaches that the spirit- 
ual or inspirational endowments of the apostles 
were superior to those of all other teachers, so that 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 3 1 

the apostles were especially qualified to declare 
with authority the essential truths concerning Jesus 
Christ, his work, and his kingdom (John 20 : 22, 
23 ; Eph. 2 : 20; Rev. 21 : 14 ; Matt. 16 : 17). 
Paul was added to the original group of the apos- 
tles by the choice of Christ, and therefore in need 
of the same kind of inspiration granted to them 
(Rom. 1 : 1 ; 1 Cor. 1:1; 9:1; Gal. 2 : 6-9 ; 
1 Peter 1 : 12 ; 2 Peter 3:15, 16). Paul and the 
other apostles had a variety of gifts for their special 
ministry (1 Cor. 14 : 18, 19 ; Acts 2 : 4, 6, 7 ; 19 : 
6 ; 8 : 14-17 ; 2 Tim. 1 : 6 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 6 f. ; 3 : 10 ; 
12 : 8 ; Acts 13 : 9-1 1 ; 14 : 3, 8-10; 19 : 11, 12), 
The apostles had all the " gifts " possessed by 
Christians of their time, and also some which they 
alone received. These endowments made them 
safe guides. The Spirit that inspired them will 
help Christians of all times in studying the revealed 
truths of Scripture. The teaching of the apostles, 
like that of their Master, is positive, spiritual, self- 
consistent and practical ; it inculcates Christian 
truths without any error. To this conclusion it is 
objected that the apostles were not always true to 
their convictions. But of this there is no evidence. 
Gal. 2 : 11-13 refers to Peter's personal conduct, 
which doubtless illustrated his conviction at the 
time. It is said that they taught contradictory doc- 
trines, but this statement misinterprets their lan- 
guage ; that they misinterpreted passages of the 
Old Testament — this charge cannot be verified ; 
that they expected the final coming of Christ in 



32 Christian Doctrine 

their day — this doctrine they did not teach. In 
i Cor. i : 14-16 there is said to be a confession of 
their ignorance and forgetfulness, but this favors 
the view that when they wrote positively their 
knowledge was certain (2 Cor. 12 : 2, 3). 

It must be remembered that all the New Testa- 
ment writers were not apostles. John Mark, writer 
of the second Gospel, was associated with Barna- 
bas, with Paul, and with Peter (Acts 15 : 39; 2 
Tim. 4:11; 1 Peter 5 : 13). The probability is 
that we have in the second Gospel the story of 
Christ's ministry as Peter reported it. Luke wrote 
the third Gospel. He was a companion of Paul, 
and probably learned much of the history of Christ 
from other apostles and from authentic records. 
The writers of the Epistles of James and Jude were 
probably brothers of Jesus, converted to disciple- 
ship by his resurrection and acquainted with sev- 
eral of the Twelve. The Epistle to the Hebrews 
may have been written at the suggestion and with 
the approval of Paul by Luke or some other dis- 
ciple. All these writers were devout Christians, 
desirous of making known the truth. IVlany asso- 
ciates of the apostles were inspired (Acts 2 : 17, 
18 ; 11 : 27, 28 ; 21 : 9 ; 1 Cor. 11:4; 14 : 24-32). 
It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that the 
writers of the New Testament books were thus 
qualified for their work. 

The fourth proposition is that Jesus Christ, to- 
gether with his inspired apostles and their asso- 
ciates, endorsed the Old Testament Scriptures as 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 33 

from God. Competent scholars are now agreed 
that our present Old Testament books were the 
accredited sacred writings of the Palestinian Jews 
in the time of Christ and during the century and a 
half that preceded his advent. 1 Josephus writes 
that the sacred books numbered twenty-two. A 
majority of Jewish teachers of the first century 
after Christ believed all the books, including Esther, 
Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs to be worthy 
of a place in the canon of sacred writings. The 
use which Jesus made of the Old Testament will 
appear from a study of the following passages : 
Matt. 21 : 42 ; 22 : 29 ; 26 : 54, 56 ; Luke 4:21; 
24 : 46 ; John 5 : 39 ; 7 : 38 ; 10 : 35 ; 13 : 18 ; 17 : 
12 ; Matt. 5 : 17-19 ; 7:12; 22 : 36-40 ; Luke 
16 : 17 ; 24 : 44 ; 11 : 49. Examples from the New 
Testament are found : in the words of Peter, Acts 

1 : 16, 20 ; 2 : 16 f., 23, 25, 30, 31 ; 3 : 18, 21-26 ; 
4 : 25 ; 10 : 43 ; 1 Peter 1 : 1, 10-12, 16, 24, 25 ; 

2 : 6-8 53:6, 10-12, 15, 20 ; 4 : 11 ; 2 Peter 1 : 19- 
21 ; 2 : 16 ; 3 : 2 ; in the words of John, 1 : 17 ; 
12 : 14 f. ; 19 : 24, 36 ; in the words of Paul, (1) his 
view of the Mosaic law, Rom. 7 : 7-12 ; Gal. 3:8; 
Rom. 9 : 25 f. ; 12 : 19 f. ; (2) his view of sacred 
history, Gal. 4 : 21-31 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 1-6. His view 
of the entire Old Testament may be seen in 2 Tim. 

3 : 14-17. 2 The thirteen Epistles of Paul contain 
more than one hundred and twenty-five citations 
from the Old Testament. The Epistle to the He- 

1 See Introductions and writings on the Canon of the Old Testament. 
2 See Hovey, " Studies in Ethics and Religion," p. 178 f. 

c 



34 Christian Doctrine 

brews has fifty-three quotations from the same 
volume. Richard Rothe affirms that all the writers 
of the New Testament "consider the words of the 
Old Testament direct words of God." 

This survey leads to the conclusion that no one 
is justified in accepting the New Testament as 
God's word without accepting the Old Testament 
as equally God's word and no less truly a revela- 
tion from God and adapted to the mental and re- 
ligious condition of those to whom it was first 
given. 1 But their character as historical records 
confirms the words of Christ and his apostles, 
which declare the Old Testament Scripture to be a 
revelation of God. They are impartial, they are 
veracious. They are remarkable for the accuracy 
of their references to places in the Holy Land and 
adjacent countries. Modern discoveries confirm 
this statement. The same may be said of their 
allusions to life and conduct among Israelites, 
Syrians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Arabians, and 
other Oriental peoples. Prophecy fulfilled is a 
proof of the authority of Scripture as a divine rev- 
elation. The predictions were often conditional, 
couched in figurative language, and their real fulfill- 
ment was not always recognized, yet they were 
fulfilled. The prophets were called to their work 
by God and they often obeyed with reluctance and 
self-distrust (Exod. 3 : 11-14, 17; Isa. 6 : 5 f. ; 
Jer. 1 : 5-10 ; Ezek. 1 : 1 ; 2 : 1-8. See also Isa. 
8: 11 ; Jer. 15 : 17; Ezek. 3 : 14; 8 : 1 ; Deut. 18: 18- 

1 See Hovey, " Studies in Ethics and Religion," pp. 90-107. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 35 

20). l The prophets were sane men and claimed to 
deliver messages which they received as of divine 
origin. Finally the religious teaching of the Old 
Testament was pre-eminent in purity and power. 
The law, the prophecies, and the Psalms possess 
qualities which commend them to reason, the moral 
intuitions, and the religious nature of man. These 
writings also stand the test of actual use and serv- 
ice by large masses of men under various condi- 
tions and for a long period of time. 2 These facts 
distinguish the holy Scriptures and give to their 
teaching a divine authority. They are records of 
messages and events made or adopted by men 
under the impulse and guidance of the Spirit of 
Truth. The teachings of the prophets were put in 
writing for the permanent instruction of the people. 
Even in the case of Christ our only means of 
knowing his words and the facts of his life and min- 
istry is the record which the evangelists made with 
the help of the Holy Spirit. This account of the 
inspired writings must be interpreted in harmony 
with the view that the mind of God was gradually 
revealed to men during at least fifteen hundred 
years and committed to writing. It was expressed 
in words and figurative speech intelligible to the 
people first addressed. The object sought was re- 
ligious, not scientific ; the spiritual renovation of 
men, not instruction in literature or art ; their res- 
toration to the fellowship of God, not their acquaint- 

1 Hovey, " Studies in Ethics and Religion," p. 154 f. ; Sanday, " The Ora- 
cles of God," p. 48. 

2 See " North Am. Rev.," July, 1896, p. 15. 



3 6 Christian Doctrine 

ance with physical law. The Scripture is God's 
word, the standard of Christian truth and duty. 

Inspiration and its effect on the writers and 
teachers of the word of God require careful atten- 
tion at this point. Various theories have been pro- 
posed, as verbal, dynamic, religious, and gracious 
inspiration. The first assumes that the Spirit of 
God dictated the word as well as the ideas of the 
books of the Bible to their writers. This view 
claims that verbal inspiration is required in order to 
convey truth to mankind, thought and language 
are inseparable, correct expression is as necessary 
as correct knowledge ; it is implied in the use of 
language not understood by these writers ; they 
spoke in a tongue they had not learned (i Cor. 14 : 
28) ; it is suggested by the words, " Thus saith 
the Lord " ; it is favored in 2 Tim. 3 : 16, where 
Scripture is recognized as God-inspired. 1 This 
theory is opposed by the fact that it does not ac- 
count for the varieties of style. Each writer differs 
in this respect from every other. It does not agree 
with the emotional and passionate language some- 
times used. It seems to belittle the work of 
prophets and apostles and to imply God's inter- 
ference with the moral agency of his servants. It 
is mechanical rather than vital. 

The second theory, that of plenary dynamical 
inspiration, is that the Spirit of God so pervaded 
and energized the mental powers of the biblical 
writers as to make their work divine-human. The 

1 See Haldane, Carson, Gaussen, Ellicott, Smeaton. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 37 

Holy Spirit invigorated the spiritual powers of the 
men who were called to receive and teach divine 
truth. He empbwered their souls to receive and 
announce the thoughts of God. He moved, but 
did not compel the men to teach what had been 
revealed to them. This theory conceives of in- 
spiration as a moral process, an influence of the 
Holy Spirit on the human spirit. The man of God 
is stimulated, encouraged ; reason, conscience, sen- 
sibility, and will are set at work. The qualities of 
character, the peculiarities of his discipline and ex- 
perience, his temperament, his energy all appear in 
his work, yet under the influence of the divine 
Spirit. This theory agrees with the true view of 
the purpose of revelation to restore men to fellow- 
ship with God, not merely to instruct them in 
morals and religion. This inspired truth appeals to 
hopes, fears, the sense of moral obligation, to grati- 
tude for love, sympathy with high ideals that may 
move to entrance upon the new life, hence the 
utterances of religious feeling in penitential psalms 
and exultant songs, hence the declarations of Chris- 
tian experience aglow with hope and love. Thus 
the language is not in cold accuracy of reason ; it 
is the testimony of life and love. It is God speak- 
ing of his holiness and grace, which are shed abroad 
in the hearts of his children and fervently expressed 
in their words. It allows that an inspired writer 
could appropriate and ratify the words of an un- 
inspired annalist. The original authorship of a 
paragraph, chapter or book is of no consequence, 



38 Christian Doctrine 

provided it has been appropriated by an inspired 
mind. It leads to a proper distinction between inspi- 
ration and revelation. Inspiration is the work of the 
Spirit in qualifying a prophet or apostle to appre- 
hend and declare the truth. Revelation is the 
giving of God's truth to him who is thus inspired. 
The works of nature or the word and ministry of 
Jesus Christ may be a revelation of divine truth, 
but one must be empowered to receive it by the 
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 1 The theory of 
plenary dynamical inspiration assumes that the 
secular history of the Bible is trustworthy, histori- 
cal and scientific matters are truthfully presented, 
while moral and religious truth is taught. 

But a third theory claims that the Spirit insured 
the possession and expression of pure religious 
truth by the biblical writers, while other knowledge 
was gained by their unaided natural power. It is 
plain that inspiration specially qualified men for 
religious teaching. It is clear that this scope of 
inspiration is found in Paul's word to Timothy 
(2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17). It is probable that no Scripture 
implies that prophets, apostles, or sacred teachers 
were inspired for any kind of teaching which was 
independent of religion. (See Rom. 2 : 18, 20 ; 3:2, 
19, 21 ; 7:1259:4; 1 Peter 1 : 10-12, 23 ; 4:11; 
2 Peter 1 : 19-21 ; 3 : 2, 13 ; Heb. 2 : 2, 6, 8 ; 10 : 1 ; 
11 : 13.) But no doubt there are historical matters 
which stand in essential connection with the mean- 
ing and spirit of revelation and are its expression and 

1 See Lee ; C. A. Row ; A. Cave ; Warrington ; Dr. Strong, " S. T.," p. 102. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 39 

embodiment. Inspiration in some sense may be 
applied to these. In their use we believe inaccu- 
racy fails to appear. Dorner uses these words : " In 
matters respecting which certainty, so far from be- 
ing necessary, is of no religious moment, holy men 
might err." * But it remains to be proved that such 
matters are discussed by inspired writers in the text 
of the revealed Scriptures. 

A fourth theory somewhat prevails, which is, 
that all renewed men are inspired in the same way 
and for the same purpose. It is true that the 
presence and influence of the Holy Spirit in all 
Christians may be called inspiration. But the 
word has long been specifically used to signify a 
special charism, or work of the Spirit, empowering 
them to receive and communicate religious truth 
with authority. Their work was peculiar, confined 
to a few persons, a limited period of time, verified 
with divinely given signs, and ending with that 
which is declared to be the complete and com- 
pleted record, the end of the revelation of the 
word of God to men. The following statement 
from Doctor Hovey's "Studies in Ethics and Re- 
ligion " may be adopted : 

The sacred Scriptures rightly interpreted from beginning to 
end are the record of a progressive revelation of God to man, 
of man to himself, and of spiritual truth to all who will accept 
it. They will lead to truth without error and will justify that 
revelation as one that gave to those addressed by it, in each 
particular age, the religious truth most needed by them, in the 

1 " System of Christian Doctrine," Vol. II., pp. 196, 197. 



40 Christian Doctrine 

best available form for reaching the heart and purifying the 
life. Such a record can only be accounted for on the ground 
that those who made it were under the quickening and guiding 
influence of God's Spirit, who kept them from error in their 
religious teaching and enabled them to declare the truth with 
persuasive speech. 

The dynamic theory of inspiration within the 
sphere of religious teaching accounts for all the 
phenomena of the Bible, its varieties of style and 
methods of teaching, its verbal differences and 
essential harmony, and for the free spiritual ac- 
tion of its writers. The written word is intensely 
natural and equally supernatural, as the divine 
Word was made flesh, yet retains his heavenly 
nature and power. " Inspiration," in the words 
of Doctor Briggs, "is the divine afflatus which 
enlightened and guided holy men to apprehend 
the truth of God in its appropriate forms, as- 
sured them of their possession of it, and called 
and enabled them to make it known by voice and 
pen." (See 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Cor. 2 : 10-13 ; 2 
Tim. 3 : 16.) Inspired men, prophets or apostles, 
were the organs of God in what they said or wrote. 
They exercised their own powers as the truth came 
to them as direct revelation, or by observation, 
research, and experience ; they expressed their 
message with conscious freedom and authority. 
God used these men as voluntary agents in the free 
exercise of their individual qualities and qualifica- 
tions. They used the languages they knew, He- 
brew, Aramaic, Greek, as the case required. They 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 41 

recorded the very words of divine dictation ; they 
used synonyms, metaphors, paraphrases, parable, 
poetry, didactic statements, historical records, tra- 
dition, or whatever form of speech they chose in 
which to declare the facts or teach the doctrine 
that formed the substance of God's revelation to 
man. They had not the full knowledge of every- 
thing pertaining to God, themselves, the universe, 
the destinies of the human race ; they were finite, 
not infinite. But what God uttered as his truth, 
these inspired men received and declared ; holy men 
spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. 
Some objections against this view may be noticed : 

(1) That belief in the supreme authority of the 
Bible leads to bibliolatry. Answer : No, no more 
than belief in God leads to idolatry, or belief in the 
infallible teaching of nature leads to nature worship. 

(2) That this belief in the Bible retards the progress 
of science. Answer : The progress of science is 
greater among those who accept the divine origin 
of the Bible than among those who have no knowl- 
edge of God's revealed word. True science is 
faith's handmaiden. The latest conclusions of sci- 
ence attest the first truths of the Bible. (3) That 
this belief requires us to affirm that all copies, 
translations, and interpretations of the Bible should 
be inspired and inerrant. Answer : Errors of 
transcription, translation, or interpretation can be 
detected and reduced to a minimum, or wholly re- 
moved. But errors in the original text can neither 
be measured nor corrected. Textual criticism is 



42 Christian Doctrine 

important work, whose results doubtless confirm 
biblical truth. As to the original text, it will be 
seen that the doctrine of inspiration affirms iner- 
rancy. (4) That the Bible has obscure language, 
hard to be understood. Answer: It is thus with all 
truth. It is conveyed in obscure terms. But the 
divine revelation is progressive ; and this involves 
obscurity, knowing in part, and perpetual effort. 
There is also a transcendent element in the Bible. 
It treats of the relations of God to men, the unseen 
and infinite to the seen and finite. The spiritual 
must be expressed in the limited terms of the natu- 
ral ; hence the use of parables, allegory, fable, 
myth (Luke 8 : 10 ; Judg. 9 : 8-16). Hence figures 
of rhetoric, ordinary appeals to taste, imagination, 
curiosity, fear, hope, conscience, reverence, in a 
word, to men as religious beings and for the pur- 
pose of bringing them into renewed filial relations 
with God. (5) That the Scriptures sometimes use 
unsound arguments. (See Matt. 22 : 29-33 ; Luke 
20 : 34-38 ; Gal. 3 : 16.) But the answer is that 
this assertion lacks proof. 1 Dr. A. H. Strong states 
the argument of Christ in Matt. 22 : 32, in these 
forceful words: "If God is the God of Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob, then they are the objects of 
God's love ; they have not perished, but are still 
alive ; even their mortal bodies are dear to God. 
The separation of body and soul in their case shall 
not be eternal. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob shall 
surely rise again." (6) That the Scriptures are 

1 Compare Doctor Hovey's "Studies in Ethics and Religion," pp. 220-228. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 43 

chargeable with false interpretation and therefore 
cannot be inspired. Answer: This charge assumes 
what lacks proof ; it subverts the established doc- 
trine of inspiration. Christ and the apostles quote 
from the Septuagint ; this view assails their right 
thus to quote. They use the Old Testament for 
their own purpose ; this charge assails their right 
to such use. The charge has also the heavy task 
laid on it of proving that the interpretation of 
Christ and his apostles is false. Their use of Old 
Testament language must be proved false. This 
proof fails to appear. 1 Nor must it be overlooked 
that a principle of evolution as well as a law of 
progress connects the earlier with the later stages 
of human discipline, education, and redemption. 

Other objections are that the Scriptures teach 
scientific and historical errors ; that they abound in 
contradiction and false predictions. Our answer 
is : That a fair and critical interpretation of Scrip- 
ture does not conflict with the most trustworthy 
conclusions of science and history, that seeming 
contradictions may be harmonized, and the predic- 
tions of inspired men cannot be disproved. It is 
also asserted that the Bible teaches bad morality 
and bad theology. We reply : That bad morality 
is the evidence of sin, which God everywhere in 
his word opposes and condemns. God also speaks 
in his word after the manner of men, that sinners 
may know his feeling against sin and be moved to 

1 See Dr. F. Johnson's " Quotations of the New Testament from the Old " ; 
also Dr. E. P. Barrows', " The Quotations of the New Testament in Their Re- 
lation to the Question of Inspiration," " Bib. Sac," Vol. XXX., pp. 305-322. 



44 Christian Doctrine 

forsake evil. It is that the feeling of the holy God 
may be made real to the mind of the hardened and 
unbelieving. Thus moral truth asserts itself ; God 
himself makes ethical appeal to sinners. The re- 
sult of this study is that the Bible is a trustworthy 
revelation of God, of his being, his character, and 
his relation to other beings, especially to men. 
Guided by the holy Scriptures we may now study 
the nature and attributes of God and assert our 
belief in him. We believe (i) that God is a living 
and morally perfect being. He is called the living 
God and holy (i Sam. 26 : 16 ; John 5 : 26 ; 1 
Peter 2:4; Isa. 6:3; Lev. 19 : 2 ; 20 : 7 ; 1 Sam. 
2 : 2). The morally perfect being must be omnis- 
cient ; he must have a perfect intellect which in- 
sures in action perfect knowledge (1 Kings 8 : 39 ; 
Ps. 139 : 2, 11, 12 ; Jer. 16 : 17 ; Luke 16 : 15 ; 
Rom. 8 : 27 ; Heb. 4:13; Isa. 42 : 9 ; Exod. 3 : 19 ; 
Jer. 1 :■ 5 ; Ps. 139 : 16 ; 1 Sam. 23 : 10-13). a. 
This knowledge is intuitive, independent, complete, 
timeless. It is consistent with a real, though de- 
rived energy in physical causes, a real, though 
limited freedom in voluntary causes, and with pur- 
pose and election on the part of God. 1 b. A mor- 
ally perfect being must have a perfect moral judg- 
ment, which insures in action perfect righteousness. 
The Bible teaches that God is such a being (Ps. 
11:7; 15:1; 33:5; 45:7; Lev. 19:2; Isa. 
6:3; Deut. 32 : 4 ; Ps. 145 : 17 ; Rom. 2:13; 

1 See Charnock on " God's Foreknowledge "; also Doctor Strong, " S. T.," 
p. 135. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 45 

7 : 12). The justice of God is his righteousness 
expressed in moral government ; his righteousness 
is fundamental, it cannot be resolved into any other 
quality ; his righteousness and benevolence may 
impel to the same conduct. The words anger, fury, 
vengeance, wrath, denote his eternal displeasure 
with sin. Temporal calamities do not prove excep- 
tional guilt, c. A morally perfect being must have 
a perfect sensibility, insuring in action right feeling 
and desire. Thus God is represented in Scripture 
(Ps. 57 : 10 ; 145 : 9 ; 103 : 11-13 ; 136 : 1-26 ; 
Isa. 49 : 14-16 ; Matt. $ : 45 ; 7 : 11 ; Luke 12 : 7 ; 
John 3 : 16 ; 1 John 4 : 8, 18 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 4 ; 2 Cor. 

13 : 11 ; Ezek. 18 : 23 ; 33 : 11). The grace of 
God is his goodwill exercised toward the guilty or 
undeserving. The mercy of God is his benevolence 
exercised toward the miserable. The patience of 
God is his benevolence exercised in forbearing to 
punish the guilty. The wisdom of God is his om- 
niscience, righteousness, and benevolence seeking 
the best ends by use of the best means, d. A 
perfect moral being must have a perfect will, which 
insures in action all that power can do directed by 
perfect knowledge, holiness, and love. This is 
omnipotence. God is omnipotent (Matt. 19 : 26 ; 
Luke 1 : 37 ; Eph. 3 : 20 ; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gen. 18 : 

14 ; Jer. 27 : 5 ; Isa. 40 : 26 ; Ps. 136 : 4 ; Jer. 32 : 
17 ; Job 40, 41). In his attributes there is evidence 
of God's personality. He knows, feels, wills ; ev- 
ery quality of a personal being is ascribed to him. 

The Bible also represents God to be tri-personal. 



46 Christian Doctrine 

The New Testament teaches the deity of the 
Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit (John i : i ; 
Acts 5 : 3, 4) ; their mutual knowledge and love 
(Matt, ii : 27 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 10 ; Matt. 3 : 17 ; John 
3 : 34, 35 ; 4 : 34 ; 5 : 20 ; Rom. 8 : 27) ; also their 
distinct, yet relative offices (1 Cor. 12 : 4-6; Eph. 
2 : 18-20). The word Trinity has been adopted to 
indicate the unity and the tri-personality of God. 
It may be remarked that there is a distinction be- 
tween what is above, and what is against human 
reason. A tri-personal being is above human rea- 
son, but not against it ; there is no -contradiction 
between the assertion that God is one in essence, 
and that the essence of God is tri-personal. The 
words person and personal are modified by the unity 
of God, they signify that the distinction is of a per- 
sonal nature. The interpenetration of life and 
action in the divine Trinity is doubtless impossible 
to any three human beings. The tri-unity of God 
assists us to comprehend in some measure his self- 
sufficiency and love. As self-sufficient, God's hap- 
piness did not necessitate creation ; it was an act 
of love, an altruistic affection, conceivable since 
there are personal distinctions in the Godhead, and 
since he has created finite beings to love. He can 
love an alter ego, possessing the same spiritual 
nature as himself, and if there is another distinction 
of a personal nature in the Godhead there must be 
the blessedness of mutual love to the third person. 
Love to another, and love in common with another 
to a third completes the circle. God has in himself 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 47 

the eternal object of his love, independent of all re- 
lation to the world (John 17 : 24). This requires 
unity of essence and distinctness of the persons. 
(See John 1:1.) The Scriptures teach that God is 
an infinite being or spirit. By calling God spirit, 
it is affirmed that he is mind without the limitations 
of matter. Under this proposition will be placed 
proofs of God's natural attributes or modes of ex- 
istence (Exod. 20 : 4 ; Ps. 139 : 7 ; Isa. 40 : 25 ; 
John 4 : 24 ; Rom. 1 : 20 ; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1 : 
17). The omnipresence of God is accounted for by 
the fact of his spirituality. The divine Spirit is not 
conditioned by space. (1) As infinite God is inde- 
pendent in respect to his existence, which is un- 
derived and absolute. He has life in himself (Exodo 
3 : 14 ; John 5 : 26) ; in respect to his knowledge, 
which is intuitive and direct (Heb. 4 : 13) ; in re- 
spect to his action, which is determined by his own 
knowledge and will (Gen. 1:1; Acts 17 : 24) ; in 
respect to his happiness, which flows from his own 
action (Eph. 1 : 11 ; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16). (2) God is 
immutable, forever the same in essence, knowl- 
edge, character, purpose, and blessedness (Ps. 102 : 
12, 13 ; Isa. 40 : 28 ; Mai. 3:6; Heb. 1:12; James 1 : 
17). Other passages which speak of change in God, 
are adaptations to our finite modes of thought. The 
idea of God's nature is always realized in him. (See 
John 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 John 5 : 20 ; Rev. 
6 : 10.) (3) God is eternal, without beginning or 
end (Gen. 21:33; Deut. 32 : 40 ; Ps. 90 : 2 ; Isa. 
41 : 4 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 17 ; 2 Peter 3:8; Rev. 10 : 6). 



48 Christian Doctrine 

The eternity of God is said by some to include the 
idea of timelessness. (See John 3:1358:58; James 
1 : 17.) But the Scriptures speak of God's life as 
past, present, and future, thus adapting language 
to the human mind as unable to conceive of ex- 
istence independent of time. (4) God is omnipres- 
ent. We believe this as a fact. " God does or can 
develop his activity in all places at the same time " 
(Doctor Park). The Scriptures declare that God 
fills immensity and is present everywhere (1 Kings 
8 : 27 ; 2 Chron. 6 : 18 ; Isa. 43 : 2 ; 66 : 1 ; Jer. 
23 : 23 ; Amos 9:3; Ps. 139 : 5-12 ; Matt. 28 : 
20 ; Acts 17 : 27). 

Remark : The progressive revelation of God is a 
subject for historical study, and must follow the 
result of just criticism. But the doctrine of God is 
presented in beauty and power in the Old Testa- 
ment, as his holiness in Isaiah, his justice in Amos, 
his mercy in Hosea, his righteousness and grace 
in the Pentateuch, and all his moral perfections 
in the Psalms. He is a Shepherd and Father to 
his people, and Christ reveals the way in which 
all this is realized. 

The Purpose of God. The ends and order of divine 
action presuppose a comprehensive purpose or plan 
in the mind of God. The Scriptures give evidence 
of this (Eph. 1 13-15; Isa. 14 : 24 ; 46 : 10, 11 ; 
Acts 15 : 18 ; 17 : 26 ; Rom. 8 : 28 ; 9:11; 2 
Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Cor. 2:7; Matt. 
25 : 34 ; Acts 2 : 23 ; 4 : 27, 28 ; Prov. 16 : 4, 9). 
The purpose of God antedates creation, springs 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God 49 

from his good pleasure, embraces the events of time, 
and is always effective. It includes moral freedom 
and accountability in man, and the use of means. 
God in his plan recognizes man's intelligence, sen- 
sibility, will. He treats man as a free moral agent, 
a co-worker with God, whose choices count for 
something in the divine administration. As to the 
chief end sought in the divine action, the Scriptures 
indicate two ends for which God undertook crea- 
tion and moral government, namely, the manifesta- 
tion of his own glory and the good of his creatures. 
These two do not conflict. To show what he is, is 
to manifest his glory, and to be known and loved 
by moral beings is to be glorified. That the end 
for which God created the world was his own glory 
is taught in Prov. 16 : 4 ; Rom. 11 : 36 ; Col. 1 : 
16 ; Heb. 2 : 9, 10 ; Isa. 48 : 11 ; 43 : 6, 7 ; 60 : 21 ; 
61 : 3 ; Eph. 1:5; John 17 : 10 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 10- 
12 ; 1 Peter 4:11; Rev. 14 : 6, 7 ; 1 Cor. 6 : 20 ; 
10 : 31 ; 1 : 26-30 ; Eph. 2 : 8-10. The following 
teach that the end for which he made the world 
was the good of his creatures : Ps. 103 : 9 ; Ezek. 
18 : 32 ; 33:11; Lam. 3:33; 2 Tim. 3 : 9 f. ; John 
3 : 16 ; Eph. 2:451 John 4 : 9, 10, 16 ; Gal. 2 : 20 ; 
Eph. 5 : 20 ; Deut. 7 : 7, 8 ; Ps. 25 : 8 ; 31:17; 44 : 
26 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 22, 23 ; 2 Cor. 4:15; Ps. 146 : 5-9. 
These two ends may be expressed as the manifesta- 
tion of his own nature or glory, by communicating 
good to beings endowed by him with capacity to 
receive good. The fact that we become like him 
by love to others, leads to the belief that his pur- 

D 



£0 Christian Doctrine 

pose to manifest his own glory is the same as his 
purpose to create other beings and impart to them 
the greatest good. 

Suffering may be included in the purpose of God 
as a means to happiness not otherwise obtainable. 
This may be in part the ministry of suffering. Sin 
and moral evil in the world may seem to conflict 
with the purpose of God to impart good to finite 
beings. But a universe of beings capable of doing 
wrong, as well as right, may be better than a uni- 
verse without such beings ; at any rate God's pur- 
pose appears to be to create such beings and to use 
moral means to prevent wrong. In no sense does 
God authorize sin, or leave any doubt concerning 
his hatred of sin. Dorner says that " the upholding 
of a sinful race by its reproduction may be a less 
evil than its destruction and so a relative good. ,, 
George Macdonald's words are, " The will of the 
brooding Spirit must be grand indeed to enclose 
what cannot be his will, and turn all to its purpose 
of eternal good." Redemption answers the ques- 
tion as to the propagation of sinners. 

The doctrine of the divine purpose tends to fill 
devout souls with adoration and humility, Creation 
is through the Word, or the Son of God. God's 
first act in effecting his purpose was that of creation, 
or the act of originating finite beings ; thus increas- 
ing the sum of real beings. This contradicts the 
eternity of matter and the mere shaping, combining, 
organizing, or unfolding of what previously existed. 
This act of creation is ascribed to God. Everything 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God £i 

but God has been brought into being by divine 
energy in the purpose of the eternal Word. (See 
Gen. i : i; John 17 : 5, 24; Eph. 1:4; Mark 
13 : 19 ; Rev. 10 : 6; John 1:2; Heb. 11 : 3.) 
There was a time when worlds were not. God 
willed and worlds were. They were not made 
out of things that appear ; they became by God's 
will through the Word. 

It is objected that this doctrine is unthinkable, and 
therefore untrue. But the fact is to be believed, as 
the facts in mathematics and real life. Creation im- 
plies no limit to God in power, wisdom, or nature. 
He may freely accept whatever limits may be im- 
posed by the created liberty of which he is the 
source. Self-limitation is an exercise of liberty. 
Creation implies that God is not the sum total of 
being. It rejects pantheism. Remark : The extent 
of creation baffles imagination, its limits are beyond 
human intelligence. But the physical universe 
seems to be bound together in one system ; there 
is a genetic connection between atoms and worlds, 
between the lowest and highest forms of organized 
matter on earth, between amoeba and man as phy- 
sical organisms. The word of God teaches of ex- 
tra human beings called angels (Matt. 22 : 30) ; 
they are intelligent, moral beings, messengers of 
God, able to influence men, created before the 
earth became habitable (Job 38 : 7) ; bound by 
spiritual rather than natural ties, by reason rather 
than gravitation. 

Preservation Through the Son, All created things 



£2 Christian Doctrine 

owe their continuance to the power of God. Pres- 
ervation is the continuous divine agency by which 
the things created are maintained. This is through 
Christ (Col. i : 17 ; Heb. 1 : 2, 3 ; John 5 : 17; 
Neh. 9:6; Job 7 : 20 ; Ps. 36 : 6 ; 104 : 29, 30 ; 
Acts 17 : 28 ; 1 Cor. 12:6; Eph. 1 : 23). Thus the 
doctrine of preservation opposes divine and contin- 
uous creation. 1 God's power is a factor in every- 
thing that exists. God transcends nature, and he is 
immanent in nature ; it depends on him for its exist- 
ence and powers. Newton compares God's imma- 
nence in nature to that of the spirit in the body ; 
Edwards compares it to the action of light on a por- 
trait. The world of one instant does not perpetuate 
itself by its own agency, or its general laws, into 
the next instant. 2 This doctrine, that created 
beings are forever dependent on God, agrees with 
the feeling of dependence which is instinctive in 
man ; it also tends to unite the Christian to God 
in gratitude and delight. If this doctrine is opposed 
in that it makes God the upholder of moral evil, it 
may be said, that God upholds free moral beings 
whom he has created, but he neither upholds, nor 
has he created, evil-doing. By upholding sinners 
he gives them time to repent ; he also forbids 
wrong-doing, and brings his moral influence to 
bear against it. 

The Providence of God. The word providence 
signifies foresight, but in theological language it 

1 Doctor Strong, " S. T.," pp. 204-206. 

3 Lotze, " Philosophy of Religion," p. 93. 



Theology, or the Doctrine of God ^3 

means " Divine supervision, the care and guardian- 
ship of God over his creatures/' Providence pre- 
supposes a plan for reaching an end, and is the 
method by which that end is reached. 1 Doctor 
Strong distinguishes providence from preservation. 
" Preservation is a maintenance of the existence 
and powers of created beings ; providence is an 
actual care and control of them." The word provi- 
dence embraces the meaning of the two German 
words, fursehung, looking out for, and vorsehung, 
seeing beforehand. According to the Scripture, 
God's providence has respect to all mankind 2 (Acts 
17 : 26, 27). It has special reference to his 
chosen people (Ps. 18 : 18 ; Ps. 23; Matt. 11 : 
28-30; John 10 : 11, 14, 15). It provides also for 
every beast, bird, and flower (Matt. 6 : 26-30). 
God is the object of praise, because of his provi- 
dence (Ps. 148 : 3-9 ; Ps. 145 : 10). God's provi- 
dence embraces many particulars, some of these 
relate to men's spiritual welfare, as (1) God's direct 
action upon human hearts (Matt. 18 : 20 ; John 20 : 
21 ; Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5 : 22 ; Phil. 2 : 13 ; 4 : 13). 
(2) His co-operation with them in prayer (Rom. 8 : 
26). (3) His action is adapted to the moral state 
of those affected by it (Gen. 18 : 20, 21 ; Josh. 3 : 
5-7 ; John 3 : 10 ; Heb. 2 : 4). (4) His power over- 
ruling the wickedness of men (Gen. 50 : 20 ; Exod. 

1 Dr. E. H. Johnson, "Outline of Systematic Theology," p. 101 f ; Doctor 
Strong, " S. T.," p. 107; Dr. H. B. Smith's "System of Christian The- 
ology," p. 106 f. 

2 See Harris Samue 1 D D ll. D., "God Creator and Lord of All," Vol. 
I., p. 548. 



£4 Christian Doctrine 

3 : 19-21 ; Ps. 76 : 10). (5) Employing angels and 
even demons (Ps. 103 : 20 ; Matt. 18 : 10 ; Acts 5 : 
19 ; Heb. 1 : 14). (6) His utilizing material crea- 
tion and elements of nature (Exod. 8 : 12-19 > Josh. 
10 : 11 ; Joel 1 : 4-12). Remark: (1) In provi- 
dence God reveals the principles of his moral gov- 
ernment by rules adapted, in form, to the condition 
of those addressed, as in the laws of the Mosaic 
economy in respect to servitude, divorce, revenge, 
the distinction between clean and unclean animals. 
These laws adapted to a theocracy seem not suited 
to all nations nor times. Remark : (2) The pro- 
priety of distinguishing between a general and a 
special providence is doubtful ; though it may be 
said that the providence of God is special in miracles, 
gracious to Christians, and particular in all things. 
Jesus Christ taught the true doctrine. (See Matt. 
6 : 25-34.) Remark : (3) This doctrine satisfies 
the Christian heart. It extends to the personal in- 
dividual life ; it does not overlook the proper use of 
means provided for personal well-being ; it recog- 
nizes the intimate relation of God to all existence 
and action ; it leads us to trust all to God, and 
always to seek to do the will of God (1 Tim. 1 : 
17 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 16). 



PART II 

ANTHROPOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF MAN 

THE second division of Christian doctrine treats 
of mankind, who are by nature bipartite, 
racial, social, and moral ; in character sinful, 
in condition lost yet recoverable. 

i. Men are by Nature Bipartite. Their nature is 
a synthesis of the two forms of being known to us, 
the spiritual and the material, on the one side an 
image of God, on the other an image of inanimate 
nature, (i) The New Testament language is pre- 
sented as follows : Matt. 10 : 28 ; 26 : 41 ; Mark 
14 : 38 ; Luke 12 : 22 f. ; Acts 2 : 27 ; Rom. 2 : 
28, 29 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 9-12 ; 1 Peter 2:11; 3 : 18 ; 
4 : 19. The words " soul " and " spirit " are used 
interchangeably to connote the spiritual side of 
man's nature in distinction from the bodily side, 
and lead to the conclusion that human nature con- 
sists of but two parts, body and soul, or flesh and 
spirit. Contrast the terms spirit, soul, mind, heart, 
with body, bones, flesh, blood. (2) The phenomena 
of consciousness afford proof. Everything in hu- 
man experience may readily be traced to two es- 
sential principles. The spirit has direct communi- 
cation with the body ; one and the same spiritual 
entity has the entire range of susceptibilities, pas- 

55 



^6 Christian Doctrine 

sions, and powers. We are to see, in the living 
human mind, a being whose nature works in the 
simplest and lowest manifestation of its activity, 
while its full significance and the interval by which 
it is separated from the animal soul appear in the 
final results of its development. 1 A few passages 
have been thought to teach the tripartite nature of 
man — i Thess. 5 : 23 ; Heb. 4 : 12 ; Phil. 1 : 27 ; 
Luke 1 : 47 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 44. The language of the 
first may be called " rhetorical/' 2 and used for em- 
phasis, not instruction as to the constituents of 
man's nature. (See Matt. 22 : 37 ; Mark 12 : 30.) 
The second should be translated, "piercing even 
to a dividing of soul and of spirit, of joints and of 
marrow " ; that is a sword which divides the soul 
itself and the spirit itself. Tholuck defines soul, 
in this place, as the spirit according to its natural 
side, and spirit as the spirit according to its eternal 
side. The last passage reads : " It is sown a psy- 
chical body, it is raised a pneumatical body." A 
psychical body is one adapted to the spirit in its 
present condition and life ; a pneumatical body is a 
body adapted to the spirit in its eternal condition 
and life. Paul thus describes two kinds of body 
as to their functions, not as to their essence. If 
there is a third principle it is mere life like that of 
animals, and perishes with the body. But spirit 
and soul are used for the whole inner man, the 
same predicates are ascribed to both, "soul and 
body," or "spirit and body," stand alike for the 

1 See Lotze, "Microcosmus," pp. 532-536. 2 See De Wette. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man ^7 

whole man. Heart is used with spirit or with soul. 
Spirit and flesh are sometimes contrasted, but not 
as parts of the natural constitution. Spirit and 
mind are also contrasted. Sin and pollution, right- 
eousness and purity are predicated alike of soul, 
spirit, heart, and mind. Life after death, future 
punishment and salvation are predicted of the soul 
and of the spirit. Soul and spirit are both used for 
the principle of life, the animating principle in the 
body ; they are both used for the life of beasts and 
in respect to God. Both denote the seat of affec- 
tions, the rational mind, and the personal self. 

The special uses of spirit are : to indicate the Holy 
Spirit, his miraculous gifts (1 Cor. 14 : 12), to denote 
devils or demons, and also good angels ; to denote 
temper, disposition, character (Luke 9 : 55 ; 1 Peter 
3:4). Kapdta, nvebfia, and (puxij are interchanged 
as translations of the same Hebrew words. The 
lines of distinction are not sharply drawn. They 
cannot be limited to special groups of mental phe- 
nomena, though xapdia is often used of will and 
intuition, and 4>oxrj of appetite and desire. (3) The 
mutual relations of the two parts of man's nature 
are most intimate, and, as far as this life is con- 
cerned, inseparable ; thinking, feeling, and willing, 
are attended by movements of the brain though 
not produced thereby. Leadership belongs to the 
soul, it expresses and manifests its nature in the 
body ; it is a moving force forming the body. 

2. Men are by Nature Racial. All varieties of man- 
kind (1) belong to one race (Gen. 1 : 27 ; 2 : 7, 15 f.; 



j8 Christian Doctrine 

6 : 7, 8 ; 7 : 7, 8 ; Acts 17 : 26 ; Rom. 5 : 12 f.; 1 Cor. 
15 : 21, 22). As to pre-adamite tribes or families, 
the Scriptures do not deal with the subject, and it 
does not belong to our present study. (2) The 
racial unity of mankind is inferred from their 
natural similarity. Their anatomical and physio- 
logical structure and functions are the same, their 
pathological liabilities are alike in all nations, and 
their mental powers are everywhere the same in 
kind. Scientific theory is now favorable to the 
unity of the race. (3) As racial, men are reproductive. 
Men are homogeneous, a genetic bond binds the race, 
the law of heredity everywhere prevails. Men are 
social, moral, and religious from their kinship, and 
evils also follow in the same train. The transmis- 
sion of physical life is from parents to children. 

Is the same true of human souls ? Three an- 
swers have been given, contained in the words 
pre-creation, co-creation, pro-creation. But we have 
no evidence of a life in a previous state, and the 
Scripture teaches of our vital connection with 
Adam and Eve. Co-creation is defended by some 
anthropologists as scriptural. (See Num. 16 : 22 ; 
27 : 16 ; Eccl. 12:7; Isa. 57 : 16 ; Zech. 12:1; 
Heb. 12 : 9.) This last passage refers to all spir- 
itual beings. God's Spirit is in them. But the 
theory overlooks ethnical, national, tribal, and 
parental traits. 1 Pro-creation, or generation of 
human souls, is sustained by the ordinary phrase- 
ology of Scripture, by the connection affirmed be- 

1 Hodge, "S. T.," Vol, II., pp. 70-76. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man £9 

tween Adam and his posterity (Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 
15 : 22). The completeness of Christ's nature is 
explained by it (Luke 1 : 35). This is the view of 
leading anthropologists. 1 Man as man is begotten 
by man. Soul or spirit is essential to man as man. 
As to the duration of human life we cannot affirm 
that natural death ends the conscious existence of 
man. The destiny of the spirit is not bound to that 
of the body. 2 The Scriptures declare it possible to 
kill the body without destroying the soul, and that 
both good and bad men are conscious after death 
(Matt. 10 : 28 ; Luke 16 : 19 f.). They teach the 
endless existence of men, and imply the natural 
immortality of their souls (Matt. 25 '.46; 1 Cor. 
15 : 44-54). The mental and spiritual powers of 
men point to their future and eternal existence. 3 
Moral obligation presupposes a future life (Ps. 
139 : 14-16). 

3. Men are by Nature Social. They were intended 
for companionship. By instinct, affection, and in- 
terdependence they are social. Social life is normal 
and important to the welfare of mankind.* 

4. Men are by Nature Moral Beings, subject to 
the law of God. They recognize the ought and 
the ought not ; they perceive duty, an authoritative 
rule of action, and a sense of power to obey. We 
examine therefore the moral law, its source and 
contents. It has its ground in God's nature, his 

1 See Doctor Strong, " S. T.," pp. 252, 253. 

2 See John Fiske on " Immortality." 

3 Lotze, " Microcosmus," Vol. I., p. 109. 

4 Saisset, "Modern Pantheism," Vol. II., p. 168. 



60 Christian Doctrine 

holiness, or moral perfection. 1 It is eternal and 
unchangeable in the mind of God. He is the First 
Cause and the supreme reason. Law presupposes 
a lawgiver. God alone is self-existent. To him 
belongs the honor of creatorship. We worship him 
as supreme. The truth eternal is in God, the su- 
preme reason is law to all rational beings. What 
then does the moral law demand of men as their 
duty ? Answer : (i) Man was made in the image 
of God, he must therefore realize the purpose of his 
creation by being morally like his Maker (Gen. i : 
26-28; Lev. 11 : 45 ; Matt. 5 : 48 ; 1 Peter 1 : 
14-16 ; Eph. 4 : 28 ; Col. 3 : 10). God's moral 
nature is the highest reason for holiness. God is 
love, man then should love him supremely (Deut. 
10 : 12 ; Matt. 22 : 37 ; 1 John 4 : 19). To be like 
God man must love his fellow-men as himself 
(Matt. 22 : 39 ; Acts 17 : 26). The demand then 
is perfect holiness or perfect love. But the words 
are not synonymous. Holiness, or moral likeness 
to God, is broader than love ; but perfect love will 
lead to holiness, and actual holiness doubtless in- 
cludes love. The love of a holy being is holy love. 
Righteousness and happiness are good in them- 
selves, the highest good is the greatest possible 
holiness, which is combined with the greatest pos- 
sible happiness. God expresses good-will to up- 
right beings, and is displeased with the sinful. 
Holy beings God contemplates with complacency, 
and they appear as an end worthy of creation, 

1 Doctor Strong, " S. T.," p. 143. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 61 

providence, and redemption. Men are therefore 
morally bound to become morally like their Maker, 
and to seek to bring other moral beings to the same 
mind and action, and to strive for the welfare and 
comfort of all sentient beings. 

The Moral Constitution of Man as T^elated to the 
Moral Law. i. What are the faculties concerned 
in moral action ? Knowledge, feeling, will. In- 
tellectual, sympathetic, voluntary action indicates 
moral character. The moral quality of an action 
depends upon what is chosen as the ultimate ob- 
ject. If that be God and his holy will, the action 
is right ; if it be self, or even others in place of 
God, it is wrong. Is this preference of the soul 
free or not free ? Is man free in the act of choos- 
ing ; does he make his choice, or is it determined 
by the moral constitution or condition of his soul ? 
The Scriptures, consciousness, and the principle 
of causation or a sufficient reason must answer. 
(i) The Scriptures teach of the sinfulness of men, 
of the first sin in Eden, of men's moral weakness, 
their moral obligation, and of God's grace, a. As 
to sin, Scripture teaching is clear and uniform. 
The first sin was that of man in his normal state, 
it was voluntary, self-originated, free. Temptation 
appeals to man as free. b. The Scriptures teach 
the moral weakness of sinful men (Jer. 13 : 23 ; 
31 : 18 ; Ezek. 36 : 26 ; Ps. 5 : 10 ; Matt. 7 : 18 ; 
John 6 : 44, 65 ; 15:5; Eph. 2 : 10 ; Phil. 2:13). 
There is no true repentance for sin, nor faith in 
Christ, nor spiritual service for God, apart from 



62 Christian Doctrine 

the divine help. Thus man appears in a morally 
broken, irresolute, and feeble condition, by reason 
of sin. c. Scripture further teaches that moral 
weakness is no excuse for continuing in sin (Ezek. 
18 : 27-32 ; Matt. 11 : 28 f. ; Acts 3 : 19). It is the 
duty of sinners to repent, and God will help to 
this. Their weakness is sinful and inexcusable ; 
their cannot is a will not. d. Scripture teaches 
God's grace. God does not excuse the sinner, but 
grants grace. He does not take away freedom, 
but rouses his moral nature and quickens his re- 
ligious feeling so that he will seek the Lord. 

2. Consciousness teaches human freedom. Sir 
William Hamilton says, " We are, though we know 
not how, the true and responsible authors of our 
actions. " * For the fact of liberty we have the 
evidence of consciousness. Professor Bowne says, 
"Voluntary acts we know, their cause, namely 
our own will, lies within the sphere of our con- 
sciousness. " That moral action is free seems to 
flow from a consciousness of the fact. When we 
recall a wrong decision we are conscious of a power 
to do otherwise. If we followed impulse instead 
of reason, if we obeyed conscience instead of ap- 
petite, we did it in either case of our own accord. 
The immanent preference is the choice of some 
supreme end ; the choice stays, and is the character. 
This is the highest freedom. Hence, "We must 
will to be good, and have a good will." Immanent 
preference is love, in which the motive and the 

1 " Phil.," etc., p. 507. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 63 

choice are included. 1 All men, it may be said, have 
made preference for self their personal choice, and 
the attempt even to return to God without divine 
grace proves a failure. 

3. The law of causation or sufficient reason. 
This is expressed in the words ; every event is 
due to an adequate cause ; right feeling gives char- 
acter to the choice. One's choice of God requires 
love to make it virtuous. The sufficient reason for 
a holy choice is a holy desire in the person choos- 
ing. If the immanent preference is wrong, all the 
volitions will be wrong. If the divine influence 
works in the heart it soon will turn from the way 
of sin into the way of holiness. The sum of the 
matter, aside from various theories as to necessity 
and freedom, may be thus expressed : freedom is 
demanded by obligation, penitence, religion. Free- 
dom is limited as related to finite beings, but it 
renders man accountable and inexcusable for sin. 
J. G. Shurman, in "Kantian Ethics,'' pp. 47, 54, 
writes, "The will is the primal energy of which 
we are directly conscious, but of which we can 
give no more description than of color or sound." 
Influence is not constrained, it is consistent with 
freedom. " Freedom is the absence of causal 
constraint, choice is real, human liberty is real, 
I am free." 2 

4. Is moral action equally voluntary, original, 
and free in all moral beings, good or bad ? No 

1 Dr. H. B. Smith, "C. D.," p. 240 f. ; Doctor Strong, "S. T.," p. 257. 
2 N. K. Davis* " Psychology," pp. 336, 337. 



64 Christian Doctrine 

degree of progress in holiness or sin can change 
its character. God is free; Satan is free ; every 
moral being is free. Fixed habits do not change 
responsibility. 

Concluding Propositions, i. Every man has the 
power of will, which makes him justly responsi- 
ble for the moral good or evil in his character and 
conduct. 

2. This power is inalienable, progress in holiness 
or sin does not destroy it. 

3. The moral bias of man's heart is voluntary, 
since all spiritual activity is intellectual, emotional, 
voluntary. 

4. Moral character as permanent may be most 
readily discovered in the state of the moral suscep- 
tibilities and feelings. 

5. Conscious choice and volition indorse, express, 
and deepen this character ; while susceptibilities 
have great influence on volition. 

6. Virtue and sin therefore cannot be traced 
wholly to moral taste or will ; the whole moral 
nature is involved. 

7. Yet a certain power of choosing one's end or 
aim in life, is the rational basis of responsibility. 

8. Men are in character sinful. Human sinful- 
ness has been denied on the grounds of divine pre- 
destination, and constitutional causality. But this 
denial sets aside the established fact of human 
freedom. Men are born with a damaged moral 
nature, and therefore are not responsible. But this 
statement denies a sufficient moral power, or free- 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 6^ 

dom, and therefore cannot be proved. Sin, guilt, 
penalty remain as the experience of mankind. 

The Nature of Sin, i. It has been called want of 
conformity to the law of God (i John 3:4; Matt. 
13 : 41 ; Rom. 6 : 19 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 14 ; Rom. 2:25; 
5 : 14 ; Heb. 2:2; Gen. 3 : 3). Sin is disobe- 
dience. This is true, but seems not to define the 
central impulse or principle of sin. 

2. It has been defined as concupiscence, or inor- 
dinate desire (Rom. 1 : 18 f.; 4 : 1 ; 7 : 8, 14, 23, 24 ; 
8 : 6f.; Gal. 5 : i6f.; Phil. 3 : 3, 4 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 26 ; 3 : 
1-4 ; 2 Cor. 1 : 12 ; John 1:13; 3:6; Gen. 6 : 3). 
But this definition does not consider the origin of 
sin. (See Prov. 4 : 23 ; Matt. 15 : 19.) 

3. Sin is also defined as a deficiency of love to God 
and man. Certain words of Scripture are offered as 
proof (Matt. 22 : 37-39 ; Luke 10 : 27, 28 ; Deut. 6 : 
5 ; 10 : 12 ; 30 : 6). But sin is more than a lack of 
moral power, more than the absence of true love. 
It is positive, energetic, hostile often to good. 

4. It is therefore defined as preference of self to 
God (John 5 : 30 ; 7 : 18 ; 8 : 50 ; Matt. 20 : 28 ; 
26 : 39 ; Rom. 15:3; 14 : 7 ; Gal. 2 : 20 ; 2 Cor. 
5:15; Phil. 2:4, 21 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 24, 33 ; John 
12 : 25 ; 1 Cor. 13 : 5). Selfishness comprehends 
self-indulgence, self-seeking, and self-will. In these 
preference for self counts for sin. The law says 
God is supreme, treat him as such. He is holy, 
treat him as holy. He is source of all things, treat 
him as such. Man is your associate and peer, treat 
him, in respect and love, as peer. Selfishness 

E 



66 Christian Doctrine 

says love self first, above God and thy neighbor ; 
make self the center of thought, purpose, action ; 
make the happiness of self the only good. Let 
others take care of themselves. Follow Cain's 
word (Gen. 4:9; see 1 Tim. 6 : 10 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 
2-4; 1 John 2 : 15). External things are means, 
their use may be perverted to self-gratification. 

Extent of Sin. All men are sinful. No member of 
the human race, except Jesus Christ, has escaped 
sin. All are morally depraved at birth, and if they 
live long in the world become guilty of personal sin. 
Moral depravity is the state of the soul, which natu- 
rally leads to sin, and which is accounted for as the 
effect of ancestral sin. The Scriptures represent 
all men as sinful (1 Kings 8 : 46 ; Eccl. 7 : 20 ; 
Rom. 3 : 9 f.). The Scriptures include bodily death 
in the penalty of sin (Gen. 2 : 17 ; Rom. 5 : 12 f. ; 
1 Cor. 15 : 21, 22, 45). Bodily death is the lot of 
all. The Scriptures represent Christ's atonement 
as universal. (1 John 2 : 2 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 6 ; 4 : 10 ; 
Heb. 2:951 Peter 3 : 18). If this atonement is 
provided for all, then all are possessed with sin. 
The youngest child by heredity must have evil 
tendencies that need to be changed. The Scrip- 
tures teach that man's nature is vitiated at birth, 
since the fall of our first parents (John 3:651 
Cor. 7 : 14 ; Eph. 2:3; Rom. 5 : 12 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 
22). Unchristian writers as Ovid and Seneca con- 
firm this scriptural doctrine. Man was originally 
upright and inclined to good ; since the fall he is 
predisposed to evil. But all men are not equally 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 67 

sinful. There are degrees of sinfulness. It is 
greater in some men than in others ; it is modified 
by religious knowledge (Prov. 29 : 1 ; Jer. 13 : 23 ; 
Luke 12 : 48 ; John 3 : 19 ; 15 : 22, 24 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 
13 ; Rom. 2 : 12 ; 4 : 15 ; Rom. 5:13; 1 Cor. 14 : 
20). But all are depraved. They have no proper 
love to God (Rom. 8:7; 1 John 4 : 1). The 
principle of holy obedience is wanting. There is 
enmity to God in the heart. 

Man's Accountability for Moral Life and Conduct. 
1. He is accountable for every voluntary act of his 
own that is wrong. A voluntary act is a choice of 
volition ; a wrong act is one that does not agree 
with the known will of God as revealed to a man 
when conscience, Scripture, or Providence has put 
within his reach a knowledge of the character of 
such an act. Refusal to receive, or neglect to seek 
the light, leaves one without excuse. 

2. He is accountable for an inherited inclination 
to evil, which he appropriates by doing a sinful act. 
By so doing he decides to obey the impulse to evil. 

3. He is accountable for any increase of evil in 
his heart, which is due to sinful action. If one in- 
dorses and expresses a tendency of his heart to sin, 
he deepens and strengthens that tendency and is 
thus accountable to God. 

4. Every one sinning is responsible for the evil 
which may be expected to result from his sin. The 
real nature of many sins is manifested by the con- 
sequences. God forewarns us of these, and one is 
justly accountable whether these consequences fol- 



68 Christian Doctrine 

low from his action or are mercifully averted by 
Providence. 

Note now the effects of sinning upon one's ca- 
pacity for good, (i) A sinner is responsible for 
any lack of improvement in his capacity for moral 
and religious feeling and action occasioned by his 
sinful conduct (Matt. 25:25; Luke i9:2of.). 
Thus it cannot be doubted God will reckon with his 
unfaithful servant. (2) A sinner is responsible for 
deterioration of his capacity for moral and religious 
discernment, feeling, and conduct, caused by his 
own sinful action. Spiritual powers are injured by 
sin ; the sinner is accountable when this is an 
effect of wrong-doing. (3) A sinner is responsible 
for failure to do all the good he might have done if 
he had never done a wrong act, but had always 
used himself for good alone. He is culpable for 
every choice of evil, for the growth of inclination 
to evil, for his deterioration of capacity and failure 
to do all the good he might have done. But God 
and not man can bring the true indictment. A 
man is responsible for the sins of others which he 
approves ; assent to sin is sin. Every such assent 
misleads others. The instigator of a crime is as 
guilty as the perpetrator of it. Sin is in the spirit, 
aim, preference of the soul, rather than in the act 
which reveals the spirit. All sin is one in princi- 
ple. Sinners are in alliance against God and holi- 
ness. No man needs to work alone who will over- 
come sin. God is with him. Man's true life and 
blessedness are multiplied by his relation to those 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 69 

who have the same life and blessedness, as the 
sins of the father are visited upon the children who 
repeat and perpetuate them. 

5. Men unrenewed by the grace of God, being 
sinful, are guilty and condemned. The proof of 
this is contained in the preceding discussion. Men 
are condemned by God as guilty of sin. Here the 
great question arises : Are they in any way ac- 
countable for the sin of their first parents ? The 
subject involves what is known as : The imputation 
of Adam's sin to his posterity. The history of doc- 
trine contains the leading views. Brief reference 
will here be made to six theories, (i) The Pelagian 
hypothesis assumes that a man cannot be responsi- 
ble for anything but his own voluntary action. Adam 
and Christ in Rom. 5 : 12 f., are typical personages, 
illustrating the connection between sin and death, 
righteousness and life. Heredity, or race connec- 
tion, has not corrupted human nature. Every soul is 
created innocent; sin is only the act of the individual. 
We believe this view is contrary to the Scripture. 
(2) The Arminian view supposes man to be respon- 
sible for his own voluntary action. Men, owing to 
the fall, are born " without original righteousness 
and need new grace/' but are not guilty. Men are 
made responsible for their conduct by "a gracious 
ability " imparted by God. 1 This theory assumes 
a gift of grace not revealed in the Scripture, and 
maintains that " moral evil does not involve guilt." 2 

1 See Doctor Whedon, " Bib. Sac." Vol. XIX., p. 241 f. 
2 See Doctor Strong, " S. T.," p. 316. 



70 Christian Doctrine 

(3) The Edwardian hypothesis affirms man's re- 
sponsibility for his voluntary action, and that he 
has a natural ability to do right, though a natural 
inclination to sin leads him to do wrong. Men are 
responsible, not for inherited bias, but for what 
they freely appropriate and express. Men are born 
depraved, but not sinful ; guilt begins with moral 
action, which, owing to their innate bias to evil, is 
always sinful. The theory affirms natural ability, 
instead of gracious ability, but natural ability is 
crippled by moral inability. 1 

(4) The Placean hypothesis is called the theory 
of mediate imputation. It supposes that all men 
share in the corruption of the nature which they 
have, and are to be condemned for innate sinful 
bias, rather than the sin which originated that bias. 
They are held indirectly, rather than directly, ac- 
countable for the sin of Adam. This is on account 
of the corruption resulting from that sin. 2 The 
justice of God seems to be set aside by this theory, 
and its biblical ground does not appear. 

(5) The Augustinian theory makes every man 
responsible for his moral bias as well as action. It 
emphasizes the oneness of the human race. Adam 
and Christ represent (Rom. 5 : 12 f.) the sources, the 
one of sin and death, the other of righteousness 
and life. It claims to justify the imputation of 
Adam's sin to his posterity. Their spiritual nature 

1 See Hagenbach, " History of Doctrine," Vol. II., p. 435 ; also Shedd, 
Fisher, and Strong, "Systematic Theology," p. 318. 

2 See G. Payne, "Original Sin," and H. P.Smith, " System of Christian 
Doctrine" ; Doctor Strong, "Systematic Theology," p. 326. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 71 

was germinally in his, the fall was the fall of the 
race. The Traducian theory was held to explain 
why all men should be charged with sin. But this 
explanation relates rather to the moral condition, 
than to the reason why men are chargeable with 
sin, for being in that condition. 

(6) The Calvinistic theory supposes every man 
responsible for his depraved heart and sinful con- 
duct. Adam was constituted by God's appoint- 
ment the representative or federal head of all his 
descendants, as was Christ of all his chosen. Adam 
acted for the race, and his act accounts for man's 
bias to evil. But this view appears to be legal 
rather than spiritual. It fails to satisfy our reason, 
or to agree with the scriptural doctrine concerning 
the relation of justification and faith. Thus some- 
thing may be said against each of these theories, 
as perhaps against any theory which is the pro- 
duct of the human mind alone. 

The biblical doctrine we believe to be that every 
child of Adam is accountable for the sympathy he 
has with the evil in the world, and with the primal 
act of disobedience. The Scriptures teach us that 
even physical death has a penal character, and is a 
consequence of Adam's sin. The descendants of 
Adam inherit from him a moral nature inclined to 
evil. The race connection is most intimate and far- 
reaching in its effects for good and ill. How these ill 
effects are treated in the divine administration may 
be told in God's word and realized in personal expe- 
rience. We believe God always looks upon men as 



72 Christian Doctrine 

they are ; unrenewed men are, as God sees them 
to be, condemned as guilty ; but they are assured 
of forgiveness on condition of repentance. 

6. Men unrenewed are exposed to endless pun- 
ishment. God's law is the rule of duty sanctioned 
and sustained by rewards and punishments. God's 
will expresses his character. We recognize the 
" retributive justice," which annexes pain to 
wrong-doing, and happiness to well-doing. The 
primary sense of punishment is suffering, by loss 
or pain, inflicted by rightful authority upon the 
wrong-doer. Its aim is retribution rather than ref- 
ormation. It rests on the postulate, that govern- 
ment ought to distinguish between crime and inno- 
cence, that evil-doers ought not to receive the same 
treatment as those who do well. 1 In the divine 
government punishment may look to the future 
also by way of preventing sin or crime. Hope and 
fear are appealed to in behalf of righteousness. 
Loss and pain are the sum of natural evil, which 
God annexes to moral evil. To those who know 
something of divine fellowship and love, of the 
compassion and self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, of 
the spiritual life and progress open to believers, the 
loss incurred by final unbelief must seem the 
greatest of evils ; but to unbelievers, pain may 
appear to be the worst of evils. It is to be inferred 
that the punishment of evil-doers may be in a sense 
self-inflicted. Whatever their final place of abode, 
it may be said that the continued activity of their 

1 See Bowne, " Metaphysics and Ethics," p. 98. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 73 

spiritual powers will be the principal source of pain. 
Conscience will be God's minister forever. Phys- 
ical environment may have part in the punishment 
of the lost. The imagery of the Bible is not with- 
out significance. Sinners in this life have a fore- 
taste at least of punishment, which may be mer- 
ciful in its intent, akin to chastisement inflicted 
upon Christians. 

Other Views. Conditional Immortality and Anni- 
hilation of the Wicked. Those who hold these views 
claim that extinction of conscious being is the final 
destiny of disbelievers in Christ. 1. On the ground 
that endless loss and pain are too severe a pun- 
ishment for temporal sin. But this penalty is not 
merely for temporal sin. " Eternal sin " (Mark 
3 : 29) will receive punishment without end (see 
also Matt. 5 : 22 ; John 8 : 24). Sin is a personal 
state, not merely a temporary act. 2. On the 
ground that permanently sinful and miserable 
beings would be worse than useless, marring the 
peace and order of the universe. But sin and 
suffering have existed for ages, and we cannot 
compass the universe to decide what is useful or 
useless. (See John 5 : 22 ; 6 : 63, 47 ; 10 : 27 ; 
14 : 6.) 3. On the ground that eternal life is the 
fruit of union with Christ (John 4:14; 10 : 26, 
27; 14:6.) But " eternal life" is not simply 
endless existence. It is life in Christ the Saviour. 
He is its source, and it is begotten in us by the 
Holy Spirit. The spirit of man exists and is con- 
scious without this life in Christ, the new life be- 



74 Christian Doctrine 

gotten of the Holy Spirit. It is the Christian who 
has " eternal life," that is, that quality which is 
Christ-like. The " inner light" may be Christ's 
life in the personal character, and "the outer dark- 
ness " may be the Christless life and character. 
4. On the ground that death signifies the end of 
conscious existence. But this is contrary to fact and 
to Scripture, and to the common belief of Jews in 
the time of Christ and to Christ's direct teaching. 
Science furnishes no proof of the end of conscious 
existence. 5. On the ground that some passages 
deny conscious existence after death, e. g., Ps. 
6:5; 30 : 9 ; 88 : 10-12 ; 115 : 17 ; Eccl. 9 : 10; 
Isa. 38 : 18, 19. But some of these passages apply 
to the righteous, and therefore teach that death 
ends all to all if to any. These passages are poetic, 
and some may not express inspired teaching. 
Finally there are clear passages in the New Testa- 
ment, which teach the conscious existence of both 
good and bad after death (Luke 16 : 19-31 ; Luke 
23 : 43 ; Heb. 12 : 23 ; 2 Peter 2:9; Eccl. 12 : 7). 
6. On the ground that other terms besides death 
signify extinction of personal being, e. g., destruc- 
tion, perdition (Matt. 10 : 6, 42 ; 15 : 24 ; Luke 11 : 
51; 13:33; I5M-32; 19:10; John 6:39; 
10 : 28 ; 17:1252 Peter 3 : 6). But the wcrd de- 
struction or perdition does not mean extinction of 
being; "hell of fire" (Matt. 5 : 22) means suffer- 
ing other than annihilation; so the words "con- 
sumed" (Isa. 1 : 28), "devoured" (Heb. 10 : 27), 
" burned up " (Ps. 21:9; Mai. 4:1; Matt. 3 : 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 75 

10 ; comp. Ps. 102 : 3 ; Job 30 : 30 ; 1 Peter 1 : 
754:12; 1 Cor. 3:15). In these figurative terms 
there appears no ground for the theory in question. 
The words "cut off " (Ps. 34 : 16) refer to natural 
death, not to the soul along with the body. This 
theory of annihilation rests upon unstable founda- 
tions. It would be the choice of multitudes and 
against Christ's call to repent and believe. 

The Larger Hope. This means the final restora- 
tion of all to holiness. 1. On the ground that the 
endless presence of sin and suffering are contrary 
to the wisdom and love of God. Our answer is 
already given. We cannot determine what wisdom 
and love may permit in the realm of moral freedom. 
2. On the ground that utter extinction of sin and 
suffering is predicted in the Scriptures through the 
ultimate triumph of grace. Answer : These pre- 
dictions appear in the writings of Paul, not in the 
words of Christ. We believe that Paul did not 
teach this doctrine in the language he used. He 
depicts the vast extension of the reign of Christ in 
the hearts and lives of believers (Rom. 5 : 19 ; 
11 : 25 ; 14 : 12 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 27, 28 ; Phil. 2 : 9-11 ; 
Col. 1 : 10, 23 ; Mark 1 : 3). Note the prediction of 
a large number of men brought to Christ, and Satan 
and his angels deprived of opportunity to disturb 
Christ's rule. Consider also 2 Thess. 1 : 8, 9 ; 
Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 6 : 9, 10 ; Eph. 5:5,6; 1 
Cor. 16 : 22 ; Gal. 5 : 19-21 ; 1 Peter 4 : 17, 18 ; 
Rev. 22 : 15, and find the literal force of these 
passages against the universalist theory. The 



76 Christian Doctrine 

largest hope of holiness and heaven is in Jesus 
Christ through faith in his name. 

Conclusion. It is certain that ungodly men are 
exposed to punishment which will continue as long 
as they remain ungodly. Moral evil will be fol- 
lowed by natural evil. Sin will be witnessed 
against by loss and pain ; and both must be con- 
sistent with the love of God and the holiness of 
God. 1 Natural evil is not simply retributive. It 
has a beneficent office, as a preventive of moral 
evil and means of moral improvement. It has some 
moral advantages by the overruling grace of God. 
Physical toil, pain, and death might not be useful 
to holy beings. But some degree of penal suffer- 
ing is better for sinners than unmixed prosperity. 
It operates as a kindly and gracious warning, hav- 
ing the possibility of true life power. Its retribu- 
tive nature is the source of its beneficent power ; 
that it is a token of God's displeasure is the reason 
why it acts as a warning against sin, and an argu- 
ment for holiness. Until probation ends, evil is both 
retributive and reformatory, severe and gracious. 

Angelology, or the Doctrine of Angels. The word 
" angels " is used to denote rational beings distinct 
from mankind. All knowledge of them is derived 
from the Bible, which speaks of them in their con- 
nection with men in certain relations and events. 
Satan and demons are fallen angels. See Gen. 
16 : 7-13 ; 18 : 13 f. ; Isa. 42 : 19 ; Mai. 3:1; Ps. 
104 : 4. 

1 See Fairbairn, " Religion in History and Modern Life," pp. 152, 153. 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 77 

1. The nature of angels, their essence, power, 
knowledge. As to the essence or substance of 
angels, it is taught (1) that they are personal 
beings, existing without bodies. They are called 
spirits (Heb. i : 14 ; I Kings 22 : 21 ; Mark 9 : 20, 
25 ; Luke 24 : 39 ; 1 Sam. 16 : 14, 16, 23 ; 18 : 10 ; 
19 : 9 ; Luke 7:21; 8:2; Acts 19 : 12, 15 ; 1 Tim. 
4 : 1). They are God's attendants and ministers 
(Luke 1 : 19 ; Gen. 32 : 1, 2; Deut. 33 : 2 ; Ps. 
68 : 17 ; Matt. 24 : 31 ; 26 : 53 ; Luke 15 : 10). 
They are superior to the known laws of matter 
(Acts 12 : 7 ; Num. 22 : 23-27). They take pos- 
session of men (Matt. 12 : 26-29 ; Luke 4 : 33- 
41). Glorified saints are said to be like angels, 
as deathless. The words in Genesis 6 : 2, "sons 
of God," refer probably to the pious descendants 
of Seth, certainly not to demons, beings of another 
species. (2) Angels appeared to men in visible 
forms (Gen. 18 : 1-9; Luke 24 : 4 ; Acts 1 : 10). 
Their form was doubtless the best, or most suit- 
able, for their purpose. 

2. The power of angels is greater than that of 
men (Ps. 103 : 20 ; 2 Peter 2:11; 2 Thess. 1 : 7). 
The words " mighty and strong " indicate superior- 
ity ; the power of the Lord Jesus will doubtless be 
wielded by them at his appearing. " Jehovah of 
hosts " indicates that there are great armies of the 
angels. Certain angels have great might (Rev. 
5:2; 10 : 1 ; 18 : 21 ; 20 : 1-3) ; their power is 
finite, they did not share in the work of creation, 
they are subject to God, or to Christ (Heb. 1 : 14 ; 



78 Christian Doctrine 

2:5; Jude 9). Michael is the only one called 
" the archangel " in Scripture. 

3. Knowledge of angels. It is greater than that 
of man (Matt. 24 : 36 ; Mark 13 : 32 ; 2 Sam. 14 : 
17, 20). They have been a long time at home 
with God (Deut. 33:2; Isa. 6:3; Matt. 18 : 10 ; 
22 : 30). They were probably created before man 
or the visible universe (Job 38 : 7). They feel a 
direct interest in Christ's work (1 Peter 1:12; 
Luke 2 : 13 f. ; Eph. 3 : 10 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 16 ; 5:21; 
Rev. 5:11, 12). Demoniac and Satanic knowledge 
is noted in the Gospels (Mark 1 : 24 ; Matt. 4 : if.; 
also Acts 19 : 15). But the knowledge of angels 
and demons is limited ; it is not certain that they 
know by intuition the thoughts of men. Neither 
Gabriel nor Satan is omniscient nor omnipresent. 

4. The character of angels. Many are sinless (Acts 
10 : 22 ; 1 Tim. 5 : 21 ; 2 Cor. 11 : 14). Elect angels 
(1 Tim. 5 : 21) according to Ellicott, are those who 
kept their first estate, and may attend the Lord in 
his second advent (Jude 14 ; Matt. 25 : 31 ; Mark 
8 : 38). Elect angels are chosen of God as his 
associates and ministers, their home is in heaven 
(Luke 1 : 19 ; 12:8, 9 ; Matt. 18 : 10 ; 12 : 25 ; 
Rev. 5:11). They worship God (Rev. 5:11; 7 : 
n f. ; Isa. 6 : 3). They do God's bidding (Gen. 
28 : 12 ; Matt. 26 : 53 ; Luke 22 : 43 ; 16 : 22 ; 
Heb. 1 : 14). Were they ever in a state of proba- 
tion ? Answer : Yes ; because trial seems neces- 
sary to the training of moral beings under God, 
and because certain angels fell from allegiance to 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 79 

God. Now, however, they are in probation only 
as moral and glorified beings may be supposed to 
be always under probation. There appears no 
evidence that the holy angels ever sinned. Their 
blessedness may be due to the work of God, since 
they take great interest in it (Eph. 1 : 10 ; Col. 1 : 
20). Yet they may not need the atonement as a 
means of redemption. 

5. Many angels are sinful (Matt. 10 : 1 ; Mark 
3:11; Luke 9 : 42 ; Matt. 12 : 45 ; Luke 8:2; 
Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20 : 7, 10 ; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 
6 ; Luke 8:31; Job 1 : 6-9 ; 2 : 1 ; Zech. 3:1, 
2 ; 1 Sam. 16 : 14 ; 18 : 10 ; Rev. 12 : 10). Are 
demons fallen angels ? Yes (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 
6). Satan's sin antedates that of man. He, and 
also his angels, the demons, apostatized. They 
are all doomed to endless punishment (Matt. 25 : 
41 ; 2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 20 : 2, 3, 10 ; Eph. 1 : 10, 
21, 22 ; Col. 1 : 20 ; i Cor. 15 : 25). The Bible 
does not indicate their recovery to be possible. 
The enormity of their sin may have been in that 
it was against greater light, closer union with God, 
and better knowledge of him. 

6. The employment of angels. (1) Of good angels. 
They are messengers of God, however employed, 
as their name indicates. (2) They were often sent 
by Jehovah as his messengers to men, and to exe- 
cute the divine will (1 Kings 19 : 5 ; Matt. 1 : 20 ; 2 : 
13, 19 ; Luke 1 : 1 1 f . ; Acts 5 : 19 ; 8 : 26 ; 12:7; 
Heb. 1 : 14 ; Ps. 91 : 11, 12 ; Deut. 33 : 2 ; Ps. 68 : 
17 ; Acts 7:53; Gal. 3 : 19 ; Heb. 2 : 2). The 



80 Christian Doctrine 

theory of "guardian angels/' having care of par- 
ticular men or nations or elements, it is said, is 
taught in Matt. 18 : 10 ; Acts 12 : 16 ; Dan. 10 : 
15 f. ; 12 : 1 ; Rev. 7:1, 2 ; 14 : 8 ; 16 : 5 ; 19 : 
17. But Matt. 18 : 10 may only signify that min- 
istering angels dwell in heaven, and see God face 
to face. It does not prove that a particular angel 
has charge of a particular believer. The expression 
" it is his angel " may not have been uttered by an 
inspired person. The doctrine of tutelary angels 
does not seem to be clearly taught in the Scriptures. 
(3) Holy angels are doubtless an organized com- 
munity (Luke 2:13; Rev. 12 : 7 ; 19 : 14; 2 Peter 
2:11; 1 Thess. 4 : 16 ; Jude 9 ; Luke 1 : 19 ; 
Rev. 8:2, 6 ; Rom. 8 : 38 ; 1 Peter 3 : 22 ; Eph. 
3 : 10 ; Col. 2 : 10, 15 ; Eph. 1:21; Col. 1 : 16). 
They live in sublime order and concert ; some are 
leaders, as appears in the terms archangels, prima- 
cies, thrones, powers, lordships. Holy angels are 
very numerous (Matt. 26 : 53 ; Heb. 1 : 14 ; 12 : 
22 ; Rev. 5 : 11 ; Dan. 7 : 9, 10). No religious 
veneration, or worship, should be paid to angels, 
nor should they be invoked in prayer. There is 
one Mediator (Col. 2 : 18 ; Rev. 19 : 10 ; 22 : 8, 
9). The doctrine of good angels makes clearer our 
conception of God's majesty ; it reminds man of 
his high rank and destiny (Matt. 22 : 30). It 
shames the sinner, and gives the Christian an ex- 
alted perspective (Matt. 6 : 10 ; Heb. 12 : 22). 

7. As to the employment of evil angels. It may 
be said to be the opposite of that to which good 



Anthropology, or the Doctrine of Man 81 

angels are devoted. Their kind of activity is 
found in the names of their chief ; "adversary," 
" slanderer " (Matt. 4 : 1 ; 9 : 34 ; 1 Peter 5:8; 
Rev. 9:11; 12 : 9, 10). His followers are like 
him. His actions describe him and them (1 Chron. 
21 : 1 ; Job 1 : 6 f . ; Luke 8 : 12 ; John 13 : 2 ; 
Rev. 20 : 1, 3). Their action in taking possession 
of men was for a brief time. The New Testament 
teaches that evil spirits could control bodily organs 
(Matt. 9 : 32) ; could produce or aggravate diseases ; 
that their presence was revealed by some peculiar- 
ity unknown to us ; that their control over men 
was not confined to the very wicked (Mark 9 : 14- 
28). The removal of demons was called a "cast- 
ing out," but the demoniacs were healed. Evil 
angels are spoken of as a kingdom, with a ruler, 
who is the wicked one, the enemy, the adversary, 
the god of this world, the old serpent, the great 
dragon, and as ruling mankind (1 John 5 : 19 ; 
John 14 : 30 ; 12 : 31 ; 16 : 11 ; 2 Cor. 4 : 4). 
Satan and his subordinates bear sway over men 
(Eph. 6 : 12). Still their power is limited ; they 
can do nothing without man's consent ; their tem- 
porary victories lead to complete overthrow. De- 
mons do not appear to possess men now as in 
the time of Christ. Christ's lordship over the in- 
visible world was signally revealed in his power 
over demons. Rappings, table movings, etc., 
have been called the work of evil spirits. But 
they appear to be of mundane origin. Paul seems 
to have regarded even idolatries as under the con- 

F 



82 Christian Doctrine 

trol of the evil spirits. Evil spirits may resume 
their former modes of action (Rev. 20 : 7, 8) ; but 
if so, under variations adapted to the weakness 
of men at the time, but they will not hold sway 
over the saved. 



PART III 

CHRISTOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS 
CHRIST, GOD-MAN 

WHEN the fullness of the time came, " God 
sent forth his Son, born of a woman " 
(Gal. 4 : 4). The " fullness of time " 
means that which filled up the period that was to 
elapse, according to the counsel of God, before 
Christ should be born. A question of interest is : 
Why did God fix the final term of the ante-Chris- 
tian period at that point of time ? This appears to 
have been so fixed because of the extreme need of 
men. Chrysostom on Epru 1 : 10 says : " When 
they were ready to perish, they were saved." The 
circumstances at the time were suited to this 
supreme event in human history. The Roman 
empire afforded a broad field ; the Greek language 
was the best medium for the spread of the new re- 
ligion ; distrust of the "gods many" filled multi- 
tudes of pagans. Religious inquiry in the West 
awakened an expectation of new life from the East ; 
philosophers of Greece longed for clearer light on 
spiritual truth ; Jewish tendency to idolatry and 
paganism had been overcome ; in many hearts "a 
longing for the Messiah glowed with a fervid heat. 
1. Nature of Jesus Christ. The nature of Jesus 

83 



84 Christian Doctrine 

Christ will be considered as divine, human, uni- 
personal, and as affected in his divinity and his 
humanity by the incarnation, (i) Jesus Christ 
was divine. Evidence that Jesus Christ, by 
virtue of his higher nature was truly God, is 
found in the language of the Old Testament in 
respect to the angel of Jehovah, and in respect 
to the Messiah to come ; in the language of Christ 
himself, in the synoptical Gospels, in the fourth 
Gospel, and in the book of Revelation. It is 
found also in the language of the New Testament 
writers, in the first three Gospels, in the Epistles, 
and in the teaching of John's Gospel, Epistles, 
Revelation, a. Evidence in the Old Testament. 
Two classes of passages appear, one historical, the 
other prophetic. The historical passages are : 
Gen. 16 : 7, 10, 13 ; 18 : 1-3, 13, 17 ; 17 : 1 f. ; 
31 : 11-13 ; 28 : 13, 22 ; 32 : 25-31 ; Hos. 12 : 4 ; 
Exod. 3 : 23, 24 ; 23 : 20-23 ; Isa. 42 : 8 ; Deut. 4 : 
37 ; Isa. 63 : 8, 9. Here are found appellatives, 
like the " angel of Jehovah, the angel of God, 
the angel of his presence." See also " Jehovah " 
and "I Am," as designating the same person. 
He speaks with absolute authority, and accepts 
divine worship. Scripture writers apply to him 
the divine names, Elohim and Jehovah. 1 Signs 
of his presence were variable, as flamelike, 
cloudlike, an earthquake, a strong wind, a still, 
small voice, the looks and bearing of a man. 
His work was that of Mediator between God and 

1 See Doctor Goodspeed, " Bib. Sac," July, 1879. 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 85" 

his people, identical in quality with that of Jesus 
Christ (Heb. 3:1; John 3 : 17, 34 ; 5 : 36 ; 6 : 29, 
57 ; 7 : 29 ; 17 : 3, 8, 21). The angel of Jehovah 
was identified with the higher nature of Christ by 
New Testament writers. (See 1 Cor. 10 : 4 ; Luke 
1 : 15-17; comp. Exod. 23 : 20, 21; Judg 2 : 
1-5 ; Mai. 3 : 1-4). The Mediating angel prepared 
the way for his own work in the fullness of time. 
The prophetic passages embrace part of Psalms 2, 
45, 72, no, and paragraphs in the prophetic books. 
Some leaders in "higher criticism " affirm that 
these typical predictions belong to the times of the 
writers. But the principles of righteousness are 
eternal ; predictions of these foretell their realiza- 
tion. No one of the kings of Judah and Israel was 
the ideal king. He was set before them by the 
prophets so that spiritual Israel lived by hope. 
Typical prophecy may have led to higher standards 
of government and blessing. The second Psalm is 
applied to Jesus Christ (Acts 4 : 25, 26; 13 : 33 ; 
Heb. 1 : 5 ; 5 : 5). It is of value as evidence of the 
Godhead of Jesus Christ. The forty-fifth Psalm 
celebrates the righteousness, power, glory, and hap- 
piness of the Messiah. (See Heb. 1 : 8, 9 ; Eph. 
5 : 23 f.) It may have referred primarily to some 
Jewish monarch who was a type of Christ. The 
seventy-second Psalm is a poem, a prophecy, a 
gospel. We are required by just principles of in- 
terpretation to look upon it as relating to Christ, 
and asserting his divinity. (See ver. 17.) The one 
hundred and tenth Psalm represents the Messiah as 



86 Christian Doctrine 

an eternal Priest-King ; it is descriptive of Christ. 
(See Matt. 22 : 44 ; iV\ark 12 : 36 ; Luke 20 : 42, 43 ; 
Acts 2 : 34, 35 ; Heb. 1:13; 10 : 13 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 
25 ; Eph. 1 : 22 ; Heb. 2:18; 1 Peter 3 : 22.) Isa. 
9:5,6 must refer to Christ ; it ascribes to him a 
divine nature and office, and teaches his deity. 
Micah 5 : 2-5 is a remarkable prediction of the 
Messiah. Zech. 13:7 associates Christ with Jeho- 
vah of hosts. (Comp. John 14 : 9 ; Phil. 2:6; 
Col. 1 : 15 ; Heb. 1:3; Rev. 22 : 1, 3.) Mai. 3 : 1 
speaks of Jehovah himself in the person of Christ 
as the messenger of the covenant, a refiner and 
purifier. Daniel's vision (Dan. 7:13, 14) was typ- 
ical of the kingdom and reign of Christ. A king- 
dom which should be divine ; the true God will not 
give his glory to another. 

2. Evidence of his divine nature is in the language 
of Christ. 

(1) In the synoptical Gospels. He claimed : a. su- 
perhuman knowledge, particularly of future events 
contingent on the free agency of man (Mark 11 : 
2-6 ; Luke 19 : 30-34 ; Matt. 26 : 31-35 ; Mark 14 : 
27-31). b. To work miracles (Matt. 14 : 19-21 ; 
Mark 6 : 41-44 ; Matt. 11 : 5 .; 1 5 : 30, 3 1 ; Luke 8 : 
41-56; 7 : 11-17). c. To empower others to work 
miracles (Matt. 10 : 8 ; Luke 9:1,2; Mark 6 : 7, 12, 
13). d. To forgive sin (Matt. 9 : 2-6 ; Mark 2 : 5- 
12 ; Luke 5 : 20-26). e. To rule over all things 
(Matt. 11 : 27 ; Luke 10 : 22 ; Matt. 28 : 18 ; 18 : 20). 
/. To know the Father directly (Matt. 11 : 27 ; Luke 
10 : 22). g. To be the Son of God, implying same- 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 87 

ness of nature (Matt. 10 : 32, 33 ; 11 : 27 ; 16 : 17, 
27). /z. To be the final Judge (Matt. 7 : 21-23 > 
13 : 41-43 ; 19 : 28, 29 ; 2$ : 31 f. ; Mark 14 : 62 ; 
Luke 9 : 26 ; 22 : 69, 70). 

(2) In the fourth Gospel, a. To be from above, 
with the Father (John 3:13; 6 : 38-62 ; 17 : 5). 
b. To be the Son of God, knowing the ways of the 
Father and doing what he did (John 5 : 17-27, 36, 
43 ; 6 : 40 ; 10 : 37, 38). c. To possess divine at- 
tributes (John 3 : 1 3 ; 8 : 58 ; 14:9; 16:15; 17 : 
10). d. To be the source of life and light to men 
(John 12 : 36-46; 11 : 25 ; 14 : 6). Connect John 
10 : 30 with John 14 : 9-1 1, and learn that Christ 
recognized the deity of the Father and was one 
with him in word and being. He declared his 
proper Sonship, that he and the Father had the 
same kind of nature — that there was identity at the 
very root of being and power, and that the activity 
of the one was the activity of the other (John 3 : 
13; 8 : 56; 16 : 15). 

(3) In the book of Revelation the words are 
Christ's (Rev. 1 : 1-3). a. He is the Son of God 
in a sense which makes him divine (2 : 18). b. He 
is eternal (1 : 17, 18 ; 2 : 8 ; 22 : 13). c. He is the 
Word of God, King of kings, Lord of lords (19 : 11- 
16). d. He is worshiped by the heavenly hosts (5 : 
12-14). e. He is associated with God as source of 
life, light, and joy in heaven (21 : 22, 23 ; 22 : 1-5). 

3. Evidence in the language of the New Testament 
writers. 

(1) In the synoptical Gospels and the Epistles of 



88 Christian Doctrine 

James, Jude, and Peter. They looked upon Jesus 

a. As knowing the thoughts of men (Matt. 12 : 25 ; 
Mark 2 : 8 ; 8 : 17). b. As the Son of God (Matt. 16 : 
16 ; Luke 1 : 32, 35 ; Matt. 3 : 17 ; 17 : 15 ; Mark 
9:752 Peter. 1:17; 1 Peter 1 : 3). c. As head 
and Lord of Christians (James 1 : 1 ; 2 : 1 ; Acts 10 : 
36, 42 ; 1 Peter 1:853:15,22; 2 Peter 1:1,8,11, 
14 ; 2 : 1, 20 ; 3:18; Jude 1, 4, 17, 21, 25). 

(2) In the writings of Paul, and in Hebrews, a. 
As with the Father, the source of grace, mercy, and 
truth to believers (Rom. 1 : 7 ; 8 : 9; 15 : 18 ; 16 : 
20 ; 1 Cor. 1:3; 16 : 23 ; 2 Cor. 1:2; 13:14; 
Gal. 1 : 3 ; 6 : 18 ; Eph. 1:2; 3 : 19 ; 6 : 23, 24). 

b. As possessor and giver of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 
8:9; Gal. 4:6; 2 Cor. 3 : 14). c. As having su- 
preme authority in the church (1 Cor. 1:1; 5:4; 
7: 12; 15 : 24,25; 2 Cor. 4 : 4, 5; 5 : 20; 10 : 8 ; 
Eph. 1 : 21, 22 ; 2 : 20 f. ; 5 : 5 ; Col. 1:18; Heb. 
3 : 3, 6). d. As one by whom and for whom all 
things have been made and are sustained (1 Cor. 
8:6; Col. 1 : 16, 17 ; Heb. 1 : 2, 3, 10). e. As the 
final judge of mankind (1 Cor. 4:552 Cor. 5 : 10 ; 

1 Thess. 4 : 15-17 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 6-10 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 
1, 8). /. As the perfect image of God (Col. 1 : 15 ; 
Heb. 1:13; Col. 1 : 19). g. As the own and well- 
beloved Son of God (Rom. 1 : 3, 4, 9 ; 8:3, 29, 32 ; 

2 Cor. 1 : 19 ; 11:31; Gal. 2 : 20 ; 4:4; Eph. 4 : 
13 ; Heb. 1 : 2, 5, 8 ; 4 : 14 ; 5 : 8 ; 6 : 6 ; 7 : 3). 
h. As being in the form of God before incarnation, 
and God, Creator, and supreme mediatorial King 
(Phil. 2:6; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1 : 8, 10 ; Col. 2 : 9). 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 89 

i. As addressed in prayer, and the object of religious 
worship (1 Cor. 1 : 2 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 18, 22). 

(3) In the writings of John. He teaches : a. The 
existence of the Word, or higher nature of Christ 
in the beginning (John 1 : 1 ; 1 John 1:1,2). He 
excludes all thoughts of origin, b. That the Word 
was with God in affection and fellowship, c. That 
by the Word all things were brought into existence 
(John 1:3). d. That he was the source of all life, 
not strictly divine (John 1 : 4, 5 ; 1 John 1 : 2). 
e. That the incarnate Word was in intimate and 
loving communion with the Father (John 1 : 14, 18). 
/. That he knew the mind of God, and the hearts 
of all men (John 2 : 24, 25 ; 5:6; 6 : 61, 64 ; 
11 : 13, 14). g. That he was the only begotten 
Son of God, as to his divine-human being and 
personality (John 1 : 14, 50). h. That he was truly 
God (John 1 : 1 ; 20 : 28 ; 1 John 5 : 20 ; John 1 : 
18). The frequent application of the title Lord to 
Christ by the apostles proves that they believed 
him to be God. 

4. Jesus Christ as Human. The Old Testament 
predictions are of the Messiah as human as well as 
divine. In the New Testament it is taught that 
Christ in his lower nature is truly man. 

(1) In those which call him Man (John 8 : 40; Rom. 
5:1551 Cor. 15:21; Phil. 2 : 7, 8 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 5). 

(2) In which he is called the Son of Man (Matt. 
8 : 20 ; 9 : 6 ; 26 : 64 ; Mark 9:9; Luke 9 : 22 ; 
John 5 : 27 ; Acts 7 : 56). This title is used more 
than eighty times by Christ, once by Stephen, 



90 Christian Doctrine 

twice in the Apocalypse. It is traced to Dan. 7 : 
13, and characterizes Jesus as the true Messiah ; it 
is a descriptive title derived from the human nature 
of Christ (Matt. 1:1; 12 : 23 ; 21 : 9 ; Luke 20 : 
41 ; Rom. 1 : 3 ; 2 Tim. 2 : 8). 

(3) That in which human properties and sus- 
ceptibilities are ascribed to him (Matt. 4 : 1 f. ; 26 : 
37 ; Luke 2:5?; John 11 : 33, 35 ; Heb. 2 : 17 ; 
4 : 15). Christ had the spiritual as well as bodily 
nature of man. 

(4) In which his lower nature is called flesh 
(John 1 : 14 ; 1 John 4:252 John 7 ; Rom. 8:3; 
Heb. 2 : 14). Flesh and blood represent human 
nature as frail and mortal. 

(5) Which describe his official work, making it 
necessary for him to be man as well as God. For 
as such, a. He could be under the law and honor it 
(Rom. 5 : 19 ; Gal. 4 : 4). b. He could suffer as an 
expiatory sacrifice (Heb. 9 : 24-28 ; 1 Peter 2 : 24). 
c. He could sympathize with men in weakness and 
trial (Heb. 2 : 17 ; 5 : 7-10). d. He could raise 
men to fellowship with God, and this by virtue of 
his true humanity. 

5. Jesus Christ Uni-personal. Two natures were 
brought together in one person, he was uni-personal, 
having one consciousness, one will. 1 Proof of 
Christ's personal unity is found : a. In his concep- 
tion and birth ; a single person was the result, b. 
In the use of the pronoun / in speaking of himself. 
The few cases of the use of " we " does not in- 

1 See Hagenbach for history of theories, e.g., A^onothelites and Duothelites, 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 91 

validate this. " We " often means the Father and 
the Son. c. In his resurrection and ascension ; as 
God-man he rose from the dead, and ascended to 
the right hand of the Father ; hence deity and 
humanity are united in him forever, d. In his 
habit of predicting what depended on his divine 
nature, and also on his human nature (Matt. 12 : 
25 ; 17 : 27 ; John 2 : 25 ; 3 : 13 ; 21 : 17 ; 8 : 
58). Whatever Christ did by virtue of either nature 
received character from the other. 

6. As affected in his divinity and humanity by 
the incarnation. 1 Apollinaris held that Christ had 
not a genuine human soul. Nestorius admitted an 
ethical rather than a physical union of the two na- 
tures, thus practically denying the unity of Christ's 
person. Cyril emphasized the unity of Christ, but he 
attempted to find in Christ a resultant of forces, 
human and divine, or as Dorner says "the human 
is changed into the divine/' giving a magical aspect 
to the human, in constrast to the mechanical union, 
as held by Nestorius. Both these views are arbi- 
trary, and merely theoretical. The theory of Leo 2 
was adopted by the council of Chalcedon, A. D. 451. 
It presented the cardinal facts concerning Christ's 
true nature ; but it does not attempt to show in 
what the humiliation of the Logos consisted. The 
theory of Gess, 3 which has several advocates in 
modern times, is that the Logos, or Word, became 

1 For extended discussions of various theories reference must be made 
to Hagenbach's "History of Doctrine"; Bruce's "The Humiliation of 
Christ"; Dr. A. H. Strong, " S. T.," p. 380 f., and especially " Christ- 
ology," in Schaff-Herzog. 

2 Leo the Great. 3 W. F. Gess. 



92 Christian Doctrine 

human, having the divine attributes, while their 
action was suspended. The Logos exercised his 
energies within the limits of mere humanity. This 
view presents no proper union of deity and human- 
ity in the person of Christ, and affirms a change in 
the Logos which is incredible. 1 Theory of Thoma- 
sius. This differs little from that of Gess. It 
taught that Christ had two souls united in one per- 
son, both of these souls advanced in knowledge 
and grace until his death. These two theories are 
contrary to the claims of Christ, and are inconsist- 
ent with any proper idea of the relation between 
essence and attributes. The theory of Dorner 
seems to agree with that of Leo, and contains the 
idea that the divine Word communicated himself, 
partially at first, to the human nature of Jesus, and 
then in larger measure, as that nature could receive 
him ; thus attempting to account for the facts relating 
to the early life and development of Christ while on 
earth. Without advocating any human theory we 
may adopt the following statement : That the divine 
Word so entered into human nature in Jesus Christ 
that his theanthropic consciousness and experience 
embraced the action of both divine and human 
powers and susceptibilities. His lower nature was 
human, finite, capable of growth ; the limits of his 
human intelligence were present to the conscious- 
ness of Jesus, as well as the perfection of his divine 
intelligence. The law of his action as Mediator 
between God and man may have been : a. that 

1 See Scripture Texts. Dr. Hovey's "Christian Theology," pp. 207-209. 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 93 

both his divine and human faculties were concerned 
in what he did as God-man, the action of his higher 
nature being within the limits in which the action of 
the lower nature could take part ; b. that the human 
intelligence of Christ apprehended all he taught, for 
he taught as a theanthropic being ; c. that the hu- 
man faculties of Jesus shared the knowledge of the 
divine as to all that his Messianic work required. 1 

This view it is believed (i) agrees with the im- 
port of many passages of the New Testament. 
(See Matt, n : 27 ; John 5 : 17-26 ; 8 : 58 ; 10 : 
28-30 ; 14 : g.y (2) It ascribes to Christ a truly 
theanthropic experience. In him the divine Word 
entered into conscious personal union with human 
nature. " Totus in suis, Totus in nostris." Only 
thus could the truly divine Being have personal 
experience of human weakness and woe. (3) It 
offers itself to the mind more readily than any 
other view. This may be tested by appeal to the 
history of Christian faith, and to the action of one's 
own mind on the subject. Doubtless the truth 
indicated can be expressed only in part, the whole 
truth transcends human reason. Who can under- 
stand the miracle of the incarnation ? It is enough 
to affirm that in it there was no paralysis of the 
divine, no mutilation of the human. Christ stands 
before the world " Very God and Very Man." 
Effect of the incarnation on the human nature of 
Christ. As to his humanity we say a. That the 

1 See Dr. Schaff, in " Lange," on John 4 : 18. 
2 See translations of Alford and R. V. 



94 Christian Doctrine 

perfection of Christ's character and development 
as man was due to the personal union of his 
human nature with the divine Word. b. What- 
ever relates to the genuineness of his humanity 
is singularly interesting to thoughtful men at the 
present time. To show how Christ's humanity was 
affected by the incarnation, it may be said (i) that 
the human nature of Jesus, though derived from 
Mary, was purified from all moral evil, or bias to 
moral evil, by the Holy Spirit at the moment of 
its union with the divine Word (Luke i : 35). 
But of Mary's immaculate conception the Scrip- 
tures afford no proof. The Scripture further 
teaches a. That the Logos did not enter into 
union with human nature in its fallen state. 
Rom. 8 : 3 uses the phrase " The likeness of 
sinful flesh," meaning that Christ had a human 
nature, but not a sinful nature, b. That he 
could be tempted as Adam was when innocent. 
c. That his atonement presupposes holiness and 
not sinfulness. (2) The human nature of Jesus 
was supported by the presence of the Holy Spirit 
during his public ministry (Matt. 3 : 16 ; 4:1; 
Luke 4:1; John 3 : 34 ; Acts 1 : 2). What the 
revelation of the Spirit's work in the soul of Christ 
may have been to that of his higher nature is un- 
revealed. The human soul of Christ was doubt- 
less moved by the Spirit to desire and seek what 
the incarnate Word desired and taught, thus illus- 
trating the perfect unity of aim and spirit which 
distinguished Christ from other men. (3) That 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 95 

the human nature of Jesus was helped forward in 
knowledge and virtue by light which his divine 
nature imparted. This is inferred from the fact 
that it was the Word, the revealer of truth, with 
whom this human nature was in personal union. 
We conclude therefore : That in his theanthropic 
work, both natures of Christ participate ; that the 
possibilities of appropriation by the lower nature 
furnished a moral limit to the action of the higher ; 
that he should reveal his perfections on a scale 
determined by the ability of a wholly human soul 
to appreciate his work, was therefore embraced in 
the humiliation of the divine Word. It has been 
thought by some theologians that the Logos would 
have become incarnate if mankind had not sinned. 
They refer to Col. i : 15-17; Eph. 1 : 10, 22, 23 ; 
4 : 15, 16; Col. 1 : 18-20. But see Acts 2 : 23 ; 
Matt. 20 : 28 ; John 3 : 16, 17 ; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 
4:4, 5 ; Heb. 2 : 14-16 ; 1 Tim. I : 15 ; 1 John 
3 : 8. These verses prove that the reason for the 
incarnation was the lost condition of man ; though 
in the mind of God human redemption may have 
been intended to exert a beneficent influence on 
other rational beings. Other passages are also to 
be noted ; as Col. 1 : 18-20; Eph. 1 : 10, 21-23 ; 
3 : 10; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Peter 1 : 12, which teach 
that the manifestation of God in Christ reveals the 
divine wisdom and goodness. But this does not 
prove that the incarnation, apart from redemption, 
would have been wise or necessary. If the evil 
had not been present, it would seem that the 



96 Christian Doctrine 

humiliation would not commend itself to reason or 
conscience. God's appearance to innocent men had 
in it no element of humiliation or suffering. 

7. Work of Jesus Christ. This is described as 
Mediatorial (1 Tim. 2 : 5). Three kinds of serv- 
ice appear : Sacrificial, Prophetic, Kingly. 

(1) The self-sacrifice of Christ, a. Some words 
and phrases may be defined. Atonement signifies 
reconciliation. The atonement made by Christ is 
his sacrificial act by virtue of which God might be 
just and the justifier of him that has faith in Jesus 
(Rom. 3 : 26). Reconciliation is the union of God 
and the believer through the sacrifice of Christ. 
Propitiation, Uaff/j.6? or lXa<7ttjpiov f indicates the mind 
of God in its attitude toward the believer (Rom. 
3 : 25 ; 1 John 2 : 2). Redemption, a-KoXorpuxj^, is 
the freeing, as by ransom, from the guilt and 
penalty of sin (Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9 : 12). Justi- 
fication is a judicial act, declaring one to be free 
from guilt, and to be treated as innocent. For- 
giveness is the act of God in remitting sin. Sat- 
isfaction expresses what, in Christ's sacrifice, is 
rendered to the ethical nature of God as the 
author and upholder of the divine law. It de- 
clares Christ's sacrifice equivalent to the penalty 
of sin. Remission is the putting away of sin and 
its consequences. Expiation expresses the com- 
plete satisfaction for sin wrought in the sacrifice 
of Christ for those who believe. Substitution is 
standing for another, as Christ stands in his sacri- 
fice in the sinner's place. Vicariousness represents 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 97 

the state in which Christ is while in the sinner's 
place. Moral good is right voluntary action or feel- 
ing. Moral evil is wrong voluntary action or feel- 
ing. Natural good is happiness, satisfaction. 
Natural evil is pain, or loss of happiness. Moral 
good is ordinarily a source of natural good, but it 
may be, through sympathy and self-sacrifice, a 
source of natural evil. God esteems voluntary 
righteousness so highly that he made men capable 
of it, though at the risk of their choosing wrong. 
He also so esteems social and brotherly life as to 
make men capable of it, though at the risk of suf- 
fering on the part of the good, through connection 
with the bad. Moral evil is ordinarily a source of 
natural evil, but natural evil may be favorable to 
righteousness and become preventive, or repressive, 
of sin. Natural evil is God's protest against moral 
evil. God cannot punish sin by sin. Natural evil 
therefore must be borne by the sinner himself, or 
he must know that another has borne it for him. 

(2) Grounds, reasons, or motives for the self- 
sacrifice of Christ. These are found in passages 
which a. Teach the necessity of Christ's self-sac- 
rifice (Matt. 16 : 21 ; 26 : 54 ; Mark 8:31; Luke 
9 : 22 ; 13 : 33 ; 22 : 27 ; 24 : 7, 26, 44, 46 ; John 3 : 
14 ; 9 : 4 ; 12 : 34 ; 20 : 9 ; Acts 2 : 23 ; 3 : 18 ; 4 : 
10-12 ; John 12 : 24, 27, 32, 33 ; Rom. 8 : 33, 34 ; 
Heb. 2 : 17 ; 8 : 3 ; 9 : 16, 22, 23, 26 ; Rom. 5 : 9). 
These represent the death of Christ as embraced 
in the eternal purpose of God, as the cause or 
ground of human salvation ; as necessary to the 

G 



98 Christian Doctrine 

restoration of fellowship between God and man ; as 
related to the repentance and forgiveness of men. 
But it seems improbable that Christ's death was 
necessary to make his moral influence strong enough 
to move men to repent, b. That God's love to 
men is a reason for Christ's self-sacrifice (John 3 : 
16, 17 ; 1 John 4 : 9, 11 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 3, 4 ; 2 Cor. 
5 : 18, 19 ; Matt. 5 : 44-48 ; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Rom. 
8 : 32 ; Luke 19 : 10 ; Matt. 20 : 28 ; Gal. 3 : 20 ; 
Phil. 2 : 5 ; 2 Cor. 8 : 9 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 4-6 ; Eph. 1 : 
7 ; 2:4). These passages represent God as moved 
by his love to send his Son to save men, and Jesus 
Christ as influenced by the same love. In the case 
of sinners this love includes deliverance from sin, 
from its penalty, and restoration to fellowship with 
God. c. That God's righteousness with his grace 
is the reason for Christ's sacrifice (Rom. 3 : 25, 26; 
2 Cor. 5 : 21 ; Gal. 3 : 10, 13 ; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6 ; 
Heb. 9 : 14, 15, 28 ; 1 Peter 2 : 24 ; Phil. 3 : 9). 
Rom. 3 : 25, 26 is a clear and comprehensive state- 
ment of this proposition. 

The question arises : Was it right for the Supreme 
Ruler to require a sinless being to suffer for the 
good of sinners ? Answer : (1) It is right for the 
Supreme Being to require a sinless being to do what 
is right for such a being to do. To suffer in behalf 
of another is often right. If the moral ruler of the 
universe requires sin to be followed by loss or pain, 
but permits the good to bear the natural evil in 
place of the bad as the means of their salvation, 
then it is easy to see how Christ's death illustrates 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 99 

God's righteousness. (2) It is right for God to re- 
quire a sinless being's action, which is like his own 
in moral aim. God sustains moral order. Christ 
was a theanthropic being and could have no fellow- 
ship with sin, or moral disorder. This shows the 
moral necessity of his suffering for the sinner's sal- 
vation. (3) The other passages noted show that 
Christ identified himself with the race. God treated 
him as if he were bearing all human sin in himself. 
God did this in order that men might enter into 
union with Christ and be treated as righteous. 
Gal. 3 : 10, 13 and I Tim. 2 : 5, 6 refer to vicarious 
penal suffering. This suffering was sufficient for 
all men, it was efficient for believers who are actu- 
ally saved. Heb. 9 : 15, 28 teaches that Christ's 
death had this redemptive efficacy under the first 
covenant, and that at his second coming he will be 
" apart from sin." In 1 Peter 2 : 24 is asserted 
Christ's sympathy with fallen men. In Ps. 40 : 12 
he calls human sins " my sins " though he was sin- 
less. (4) Which represent Christ's self-sacrifice 
for sinners as propitiatory (1 John 2:2; Rom. 3 : 
25 ; Heb. 2 : 17 ; Luke 18 : 13). These passages 
mean that Christ's sacrifice expressed God's desire 
to be gracious to sinners, while not allowing them 
to think lightly of their sins. This is the idea of 
propitiation or atonement. It was shadowed forth 
(Heb. 10 : 1) in the Mosaic ritual. (See Lev. 1:4; 
4 : 4, 20, 30, 33 ; 17 : 11 ; 19 : 22 ; Exod. 29 : 36 ; 
30 : 10.) The offering for sin was with blood. 
" Without the shedding of blood there was no re- 

LofC. 



ioo Christian Doctrine 

mission. " The New Testament teaching is that 
Christ's death was vicarious. " It is central to 
Christianity." (5) Which represent Christ's self- 
sacrifice as a ransom for sinners (Matt. 20 : 28 ; 
Mark 10 : 45 ; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 9:12; Titus 2 : 
14 ; 1 Peter 1 : 19 ; Luke 24 : 21 ; Rom. 3 : 24 ; 8 : 
23 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 30 ; Gal. 3 : 13 ; Eph. 1 : 7, 14 ; Col. 
1 : 14 ; Heb. 9:15; Rom. 5 19). Thus Christ is said, 
metaphorically, to deliver sinners through his death 
from the retributive wrath of the holy God, and 
the merited penalty of sin. Questions : What is 
the ransom paid ? From what are sinners deliv- 
ered ? How is it related to their deliverance ? 
Answers : a. The ransom is Christ's life, his own 
precious blood, his death, or himself given up unto 
death (Matt. 20 : 28 ; Heb. 9:12; Rom. 3 : 25 ; 
Eph. 1 : 17). This term includes all his suffering 
in behalf of sinners. b. Sinners are delivered 
from divine condemnation in view of the death of 
Christ, whom they accept as Saviour (Gal. 3:13). 
Christ redeemed believers from the power and 
penalty of sin, or from sin, guilt, and penalty. 
c. Christ's death has a moral influence on the 
heart of sinners ; it tends to lead them to repent 
and believe in the mercy of God, and to excite 
hope in that mercy. This hope is likely to become 
faith in Christ, as they see that he suffered that 
they might be delivered and have peace. Christ's 
death expresses both the righteousness and the love 
of God. 

(6) Which represent Christ's sacrifice as qualify- 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ iol 

ing him to make intercession especially for believers 
in him (i John 2:2; Heb. 7 : 25-27 ; 9 : 24). In 
granting forgiveness God takes account of Christ's 
sacrifice in their behalf. In two directions the 
moral influence of Christ's sacrificial death makes 
itself felt : a. On the mind of the Father (John 
16 : 23, 24 ; 1 John 2:2; Heb. 7 : 25-27 ; 9 : 24). 
b. On the minds of men through the Holy Spirit 
and the word of truth (John 16 : 8-15 ; Rom. 8 : 
15, 26, 27, 32 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 23, 24). Does not the 
efficacy of intercessory prayer rest on the same 
principle of moral government as the efficacy of 
vicarious suffering ? The answer must be yes, for 
there seems no limit to the vicarious service God 
may accept from one man for another, if that serv- 
ice does not sanction wrong. Men are as a race, a 
society, a family responsible for one another's good. 
Forgiveness of sin for Christ's sake requires the 
sinner to repudiate sin and accept Christ. It does 
not sanction wrong. 

Theories of the Atonement. These may be fully 
considered in the study of the History of Doc- 
trines. Briefly, they may be classified here under 
four heads : 

1. Those which affirm that the death of Christ 
benefits and saves men by its moral influence on 
their moral characters, that is, its function is re- 
stricted to that of moral influence. Its authors are 
Socinus, Channing, Bushnell. 

2. Those which affirm the moral influence theory 
and that the atonement was such a substitute for 



102 Christian Doctrine 

the penalty of sin as to render it consistent for God 
to forgive and save those who trust Christ. See 
Hugo Grotius, Edwards A. Park, Campbell, Potwin. 

3. Those which affirm further that the atonement 
consisted in bearing the penalty to which sinners 
are justly condemned. 1 

4. Those which affirm the moral influence theory, 
and also that the whole race of mankind is natu- 
rally in Christ, and was therefore punished in his 
suffering and death. 2 Socinians accept some posi- 
tive elements concerning Christ, which are ap- 
proved by nearly all Christians. But they deny 
that Christ suffered equivalent punishment for our 
sins, which doctrine we believe the Scriptures 
plainly teach. Doctor Channing on the atone- 
ment fails also to recognize the Saviour's work as 
necessary to the forgiveness of sins, as we think 
the Scriptures declare. Doctor BushnelPs treatise 
on the subject endeavors to show that Christ's suf- 
ferings are in no sense a substitute for the penalty 
due to sinners, but wholly sympathetic and for the 
sole purpose of moving sinners to repentance. 
These moral influence theories restrict the benefit 
of the atonement to those who know Jesus Christ 
as a historical person. Other theories affirm not 
only the moral influence of the atonement, but also 
that it was such a substitute for the penalty of sin, 

1 See Anselm, "Cur Deus Homo " ; Turretin, "De Necessitate Satisfactionis " ; 
Hodge, " Systematic Theology " ; Shedd, " Dogmatic Theology." See also 
Doctor Strong's valuable discussions in "Systematic Theology," p. 397 f. 

2 See Maurice noted by Crawford in " The Scripture Doctrine of the 
Atonement." See also Alford, " Sermons,'' noted by Crawford. 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 103 

as made it consistent with God's holy character for 
him to forgive and save all those who trust in 
Christ. Grotius' theory has been called the gov- 
ernmental theory. It teaches that God as a ruler 
may remit penalties when something else is pro- 
vided which will serve the same purpose. Doctor 
Park's theory is that "the essence of the atone- 
ment consisted in the sacrifice of the God-man as a 
substitute for sinners." "The atonement relates to 
the whole universe as a revelation of God's esti- 
mate of his law, of the value of human souls, of his 
love to the children of men." This theory rests on 
governmental analogy. Another statement of this 
theory is by L. S. Potwin. 1 This carefully stated 
theory assumes that condemnation of sin is primary 
and essential, but punishment is only secondary, 
not strictly essential ; that approbation of right- 
eousness is primary and necessary, while reward 
is secondary and dispensable. The theory aims 
to be ethical, as well as rectoral. These theories 
assume that happiness is the only good, and love 
the only virtue. Still other theories affirm not 
only the moral influence of the atonement, but also 
that it consists in Christ's sharing the penalty to 
which sinners are justly condemned. Anselm's 
doctrine is that sin is witholding from God the 
service due him ; sin is a debt no sinner can pay ; 
only the God-man can satisfy the divine claim ; 
Christ's obedience freely rendered makes good the 



1 Bib. Sac, 1867, "The Atonement in the Light of Conscience." See 
Doctor Hovey, " C. T.," p. 244 f. 



104 Christian Doctrine 

failure of men. 1 Turretin uses the word "satisfac- 
tion " to explain the atonement in its relation to 
the justice of God. In Christ, sinners suffered the 
penalty for sin and obeyed the divine law. As to 
the extent of the atonement Turretin held that it 
was sufficient for all, but designed for those only 
who will be saved by it. Dr. Chas. Hodge's doc- 
trine is elaborated in " Systematic Theology/' Vol. 
II. Christ assumed the sinners' obligation to sat- 
isfy divine justice. " He did this by bearing the 
penalty of the law in their stead." 2 Doctor Shedd's 
theory declares "the death of the incarnate Deity- 
is expiatory, it relates to the divine justice and to 
the human conscience ; it satisfies justice, and pla- 
cates the ethical feeling manifest in the remorse in 
the conscience of the sinner. Other divine attri- 
butes are conditioned and limited by justice." 
Natural religion teaches that God is holy ; re- 
vealed religion teaches us to believe in the divine 
clemency. God's pity toward the sinner is God's 
satisfying his eternal justice for him. Thus God is 
just while he justifies (Rom. 3 : 26) and his mercy 
is one with his truth and his love. The action of 
conscience, he holds, favors this view, and the eth- 
ical nature is satisfied. "The doctrine of a plenary 
satisfaction by an infinite substitute is the only one 
that ministers to evangelical repose." 3 It may be 
remarked that this theory assumes to exalt one di- 

1 See " Ency. Brit.," s. n. 

2 See " Presbyterian Confessions of Faith," Chap. 8. 

3 See " Dogmatic Theology," Vol. II., p. 399. 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ ioj 

vine attribute, justice, above all others, and asserts 
that the sinless Ruler may, at pleasure, bear as a 
substitute the punishment due to sinners. 

We briefly note : Theories which affirm not only 
the moral influence of the atonement but also that 
the whole race of mankind is naturally in Christ 
and was therefore punished in and by his suffering 
and death, (i) Maurice taught that " Christ was 
the original man, the type of creation," and he ap- 
peals to Gen. i : 26 ; 2 : 5, 6 ; Matt. 25 : 35-40 ; 
Col. 1 : 15. But the answer is : Paul teaches that 
Adam was the original man (1 Cor. 15 : 45) and 
only those who believe in Christ are justified. 
(2) Dean Alford's theory was that " Christ's body 
was the body of mankind. When it was offered 
up on the cross we were offered up. It was the 
offering of human nature and at once all mankind 
was acquitted of guilt." Thus, it will be seen, the 
condition of faith was set aside. (3) The " Ando- 
ver Theory." 1 " Christ has an organic relation 
to the race ; when Christ suffers the race suffers. 
Humanity, with Christ in it, is propitiated to the 
divine thought from all eternity. To the world be- 
fore Christ came God was unreconciled because the 
world had no knowledge of God in Christ." But 
let this theory be tested by Scripture. (4) Theory 
of James Relly, London, 1759. 2 He claimed this 
union to be between Christ and the human race 
and he taught thus universal salvation. Some 

1 See " Progressive Orthodoxy." 
2 See " Union ; or, The Affinity Between Christ and his Church." 



106 Christian Doctrine 

elements of truth will appear in these theories. 
They agree that the mission and work of Christ 
on earth culminated in his death and resurrec- 
tion, that they express Christ's love to God and 
men, that they furnish motives to repentance and 
faith. But all human theories must probably fail 
in reflecting the entire teaching of Scripture or in 
satisfying human reason, conscience, and feeling. 
We believe the Scriptures teach that God is dis- 
pleased with sinners while desirous of their well- 
being ; that in and by the work of Christ both 
these emotions of the Divine mind are expressed 
and satisfied. We believe that Christ, in his hu- 
miliation and death, revealed the righteousness and 
love of God. We believe he may bear whatever 
divine righteousness and love move him to bear. 
This cannot include sense of personal guilt except 
by way of sympathy, by which also he might suffer 
the deepest anguish. It cannot include annihila- 
tion, since that does not belong to the nature of the 
case. The following propositions appear rational 
and scriptural, approved by conscience and sup- 
ported by history : In God's government and mind 
(i) holiness is the supreme good, the highest end 
sought in the creation of moral beings. (2) Love 
supreme toward God, equal love toward equals, is 
a chief element and condition of holiness in created 
beings. (3) With holiness is associated happiness, 
thus constituting the only conceivable good for 
conscious beings. Holiness is moral good, happi- 
ness is natural good. (4) With sinfulness, the op- 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 107 

posite of holiness, are associated pain and loss, the 
opposites of happiness. This association is not 
arbitrary, but grounded in the Divine holiness. 
(5) God's estimate of the ill desert of sin is re- 
vealed by the certainty and amount of natural evil 
which he has connected with it or by the amount 
of this evil and the difficulty or impossibility of 
annulling it. (6) God may have made his moral 
universe to be governed by the rule that sin must 
be followed by loss and suffering, either in the 
person of the sinner or his associates, this loss 
and suffering being the reaction of God's holiness 
against sin, mediated, however, by the nature of 
moral beings and their relation to one another and 
to God. (7) Punishment for sin is a natural evil, 
a reaction against sin, neutralizing to some extent 
its attractiveness and power, a real declaration and 
testimony of its utter badness. It may be borne by 
holy beings in behalf of sinners with whom they 
are closely associated. Vicarious suffering is not 
absurd under a government which requires us to 
love our neighbors as ourselves. The obstacle to 
this is that all men are sinners. (8) This obstacle 
to vicarious suffering did not exist in Jesus Christ. 
He was human and sinless. He could bear natural 
evil in place and behalf of mankind, with whom he 
associated himself. (9) Jesus Christ was also di- 
vine and therefore we cannot limit the amount or 
the significance of his self-sacrifice in bearing our 
sins. It seems self-evident that the greater and 
the more sensitive the being who suffers the greater 



108 Christian Doctrine 

may be his suffering in a given time and also the 
moral significance or value of a given amount of 
suffering may be the greater. (10) In accordance 
with the holy will of the Father, Jesus Christ con- 
sented to suffer an ignominious death at the hands 
of sinners (Acts 2 : 23 ; John 19 : 11). Thus he 
showed his righteousness in human conditions, his 
loyalty to truth, his approval of God's method of 
government. (11) That his suffering took the 
place and served the purpose of punishment of sin 
is the import of much biblical language (Isa. 53 : 5, 
6 ; John 1 : 29 ; Heb. 9 : 11, 16 ; Rom. 3 : 25, 26). 
These passages present the ethical ground of the 
atonement, its relation to God, the ruler of the 
universe. This view accounts for the relation of 
the atonement to those who lived before his advent 
and to all mankind (Rom. 3 : 25 ; Heb. 9: 15 ; Gal. 
3 : 16, 17, 28). The suffering of Christ was borne 
for the good of men. It was necessary to the for- 
giveness of their sins and was borne for the honor 
of God in the forgiveness of sins. (12) Hence the 
whole work of Christ is traced to the love of God 
(John 3 : 16 ; 1 John 4:9, 10 ; Gal. 2 : 20 ; John 
15 : 13). It may be love for them as moral and 
religious beings, a desire for their spiritual welfare 
in communion with him, for their happiness in the 
way of right living. His love shown by the gift of 
his Son is a love of their possible holiness as well 
as happiness. (13) This work of Christ was doubt- 
less intended to affect favorably the moral and re- 
ligious condition of other orders of beings besides 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 109 

mankind (Eph. 1 : 10, 20-22 ; 3 : 10; Phil. 2 : 10, 
11 ; Col. 1 : 16-20). The Scripture justifies the 
belief that the work of Christ is an occasion of 
wonder and praise to good angels. Evil angels 
seem to be already judged. Though the final judg- 
ment by Christ may reveal more fully their exact 
state, it is certain that they declared that they 
had nothing to do with Christ while he was on 
earth. (14) The atonement of Christ ensures the 
redemption of those only who trust him. Infants 
may be supposed to be saved, as they are so re- 
newed as to recognize Jesus as their Saviour. 

Some objections examined. (1) That Christ's 
work was done on earth before his death (John 17 : 
4 ; 19 : 28-30). But this refers to his work in 
educating his disciples. (2) Death, the penalty, is 
spiritual, being a loss of blessed fellowship with 
God and remorse and despair which Christ could 
not experience. But this objection is not biblical ; 
it is purely rational. Beings who have a like spir- 
itual nature can realize and bear the sufferings of 
another. Sympathy is suffering with another. 
The fact is, Christ thus suffered. (3) All the con- 
ditions for absolute sympathy met in Christ's per- 
son. How deep this maybe we cannot measure. 

Value of Chris fs Atoning Work. This may equal 
his divine dignity multiplied by his perfect obedi- 
ence, multiplied by his infinite love, multiplied by 
his supreme sufferings. Doctor Bruce emphasizes 
four things: Christ's dignity, obedience, love, and 
his sufferings themselves. Christ's active and 



no Christian Doctrine 

passive obedience may be considered vicarious. 
" Christ chose to do all that it became us to do be- 
fore we had fallen and to suffer all that it became 
us to suffer after we had fallen and thus in both 
respects to exhibit the perfect living example of 
what the Lord requires from his creatures." In 
proof (i) see passages which emphasize the volun- 
tariness of Christ's death (Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5 : 8 
10 : 5 f. ; John 10 : 17, 18 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 14 ; Gal. 1 
4 ; 2 : 20. (2) See also Paul's words in Rom. 5 
19. (3) See passages which assert the union of 
believers with Christ (1 Cor. 1 : 30 ; Eph. 4 : 15, 
16 ; John 15:1, 5). 

For whom did Christ make his life a propitiatory 
offering ? (1) To effect the salvation of the elect 
(John 10 : 11, 15, 28, 29 ; 11 : 52 ; Eph. 5 : 25. ; 
John 17 : 19 ; Rom. 8 : 32 ; John 6 : 39, 40 ; 17:2; 
Eph. 1 : 4 ; 1 Tim. 4 : 10). God purposed to save 
some persons of our race ; these were given to 
Christ ; he had their actual salvation in view when 
he laid down his life. (2) To remove every objec- 
tive hindrance to the salvation of mankind ; to pro- 
vide for their pardon on condition of faith (1 John 
2:2; John 3 : 16). The atonement was inten- 
tionally made sufficient for all men. 1 As to the 
relation of the propitiatory death of Christ to chil- 
dren who die in infancy, it is believed that they 
are put into practical relation to the atonement by 
the secret and renewing work of the Holy Spirit. 
This seems involved in the language of Scripture 

1 See Doctor Hovey, " Christian Teaching," pp. 268, 269. 



The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 1 1 1 

concerning the covenant mercy of God (Matt. 18 : 
2-6, 10, 14; 19 : 13-15). This may account for 
the lack of anxiety Christians feel in respect to 
those who die in infancy. David was not con- 
cerned about his dead child, though he earnestly 
prayed for its life. 



PART IV 
SOTERIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION 

IN discussing this supreme doctrine let us consider 
i. The Relation of Christ to Salvation. Christ 
is the revealer of divine holiness and love, 
through his humiliation and death. The pre-exist- 
ent Word was the source of life for the world. 
From the beginning the Word has been the re- 
vealer (John i : 1-4). Man's nature created in the 
image of God was a means of knowledge of the 
Most High (Gen. 1 : 26 f.). But sin turned man 
from God. The souPs eye was closed. But the 
revealer still appeared ; some saw and heard him. 
He led his people and gave them the law. This 
was his prophetic work, until the Word became 
flesh. Christ was the revealer in his incarnation 
(John 1 : 14). He was the revealer of his Father's 
will in his teaching and work. His revelation of 
God reached its highest point in his death and 
ascension. But his prophetic work continued by 
the ministry of apostles, especially as they told the 
meaning of his sacrificial, propitiatory, vicarious 
death (Rom. 3 : 26). The power of Christ's pro- 
phetic work, through the Christian centuries, is the 
power of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
lieveth (Rom. 1 : 16). 
112 



The Doctrine of Salvation 1 1 3 

Proof of the moral power of the Saviour's death 
appears (i) in the contrast between the effect of 
preaching before and after his death. Notice the 
effect of the gospel on and after the day of Pente- 
cost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and the 
truth produced saving results. (2) In Paul's de- 
scription of the gospel which he preached (1 Cor. 
1:23, 24 ; 2 : 2 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 20, 21 ; Gal. 3 : 1). 
His theme was Christ crucified. This he applied 
with great effect to the conscience and the heart. 
(3) In the apostles' account of the influence of 
Christ's dying love on their own hearts (2 Cor. 5 : 
15 ; Gal. 2 : 20; 1 John 4 : 19 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 23, 24 ; 

2 Cor. 5 : 20). Simply and forcefully do they de- 
clare Christ's love and life as the source of their 
life and love. (4) In the history of the Christian 
religion wherever it has prevailed, the preaching 
of the Cross is the power of God unto salvation, 
unto Jew and Gentile. (See Rom. 8 : 32 ; comp. 
John 14 : 9.) 

2. The Kingly Work of Christ. (1) The Scrip- 
tures teach that Jesus Christ is now acting as 
Mediatorial King, subduing the world to himself 
(Ps. 2, 45, 72, no ; Acts 2 : 33 ; Heb. 1 : 3, 4 ; 
8:1; Isa. 9 : 6, 7 ; Luke 1 : 32, 33 ; John 8 : 36 ; 
10 : 27, 28 ; 18 : 36 ; Rom. 14 : 9 ; Eph. 1 : 22, 23 ; 

5 : 23 ; 6 : 5-9 ; Phil. 3 : 20, 21 ; Col. 1 : 18 ; Heb. 

3 : 6 ; 1 Peter 3 : 22. (2) They teach that he im- 
parts to believers their spiritual life (John 14 : 6 ; 

6 : 35 ; 15 : 1, 4; Rom. 12 : 5 ; 6 : n ; 1 Cor. 
12 : 27 ; 2 Cor. 4 : 10, n ; 5 : 17 ; Gal. 2 : 20 ; 

H 



ii4 Christian Doctrine 

Eph. 2 : io ; 4 : 15, 16; 5 : 29, 31 ; Col. 3 : 3 ; 1 
Cor. 12 : 12 ; Gal. 3 : 1). (3) They teach that he 
is the final Judge of all men (Matt. 16 : 27 ; 25 : 31- 
46 ; Acts 10 : 41, 42 ; 17:31; Rom. 14 : 10 ; 2 
Cor. 5 : 10-15). (4) That he is the giver of the 
Holy Spirit (John 14 : 16 ; 15 : 26 ; 16 : 7-15 ; Acts 
2 : 33 ; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1 : 19 ; 1 
Peter 1 : 11. 

3. Relation of the Father to Salvation. (1) This 
appears in the purpose of God according to elec- 
tion (Rom. 9 : 11). The Old Testament furnishes 
examples. God chose individuals, as Jacob, or 
peoples as his descendants. His treatment of them 
is affected by the official work for which he chose 
them. God employed some men as messengers to 
other men to declare his will. The children of 
Israel were chosen to serve God, and receive and 
preserve his truth. This was their election. 1 The 
apostles were chosen to be pupils and friends of 
Christ and heralds of his gospel. It was an elec- 
tion to privilege and duty, ending in salvation if 
they were faithful to the end. God also chose men 
to be saved from sin and death, through his ap- 
pointed means, without being moved to this choice 
by any foreseen merit or self-qualification in the 
person chosen (James 2 : 10 ; 1:18; Eph. 1 : 4, 
5, 9, 11 ; 2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 8 : 28, 30 ; 9 : 11, 
24; Acts 13 : 48 ; 1 Peter 1 : 1-3). God in his 
grace takes the initiative in choosing men to be 
saved, but not because of any moral worth or 

1 See Bruce, " Apologetics," p. 208 f. 



The Doctrine of Salvation 1 1 £ 

desert in those chosen. Yet good and sufficient 
reasons must be in the mind of God, though they 
may not be revealed. Paul in i Tim. 1:13 seems 
to suggest as a reason his own ignorance while in 
unbelief. But may not as much be said of any 
sinner saved or lost ? It might occur to some to 
think Paul was chosen because of his fitness for 
the special work assigned to him (Gal. 1 : 15). 
But may not this be true in some measure of every 
Christian believer ? Does not God, in his own 
way, fit each one for his calling ? Doubtless God 
takes account of the prayers of his people in 
choosing the subjects of grace. Many are led thus 
into Christian service in answer to prayer. But 
all this is in accordance with the divine purpose, 
which embraces the events of time and the means 
to be used for the end designed. The real reason 
is found in Eph. 1 : 11 : "According to the good 
pleasure of his will." (See Eph. 1:953:9- 
11 ; consult ver. 3-14.) Saved men are elect in 
Christ, by the will of God, through faith which is 
the gift of God. All true believers are elected in 
Jesus Christ unto salvation. In this God deals 
justly and impartially, since he offers his salvation 
unto all mankind. In dealing with men as a judge 
he deals impartially. He has one holy standard, 
and makes due allowance for different circumstances 
in measuring the guilt of men. (See Deut. 10 : 17 ; 
1 Sam. 16 : 7 ; Job 34 : 19 ; 2 Chron. 19 : 7 ; Acts 
10 : 34> 35 5 Rorn. 2 : 16 ; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; 
Col. 3 : 25 ; 1 Peter 1 : 17 ; Luke 20 : 21. 



u6 Christian Doctrine 

(2) The relation of the Father to salvation 
through Christ appears in providence. God doubt- 
less prepared the world for the new spiritual forces 
introduced in pursuance of election. These two 
forms of divine action are independent. The course 
of events in nature and society, guided by provi- 
dence, has much to do with the early training and 
character of men, and with growth in grace unto 
the end of life. This appears in the case of heathen 
nations, and in the facilities of intercourse furnished 
Christian workers in all the world. Thus God's 
providential government has a bearing on human 
salvation through Christ. A close relation appears 
also to exist between divine providence and the 
Holy Spirit. 

4. Pneumatology , or the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. 
This topic pertains to the relation of the Holy 
Spirit to salvation. (1) Deity of the Holy Spirit. 
This is taught : a. In passages which ascribe to 
him divine attributes or actions (Acts 28 : 25 ; 
Isa. 6 : 8 f. ; Heb. 10 115 f. ; Jer. 31 : 33 ; 10 : 
1 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 10, 11 ; John 3 : 5, 6 ; 1 : 13). b. 
Which associate him in action with the Father and 
the Son (Matt. 28 : 19 ; 2 Cor. 1.3 : 4 ; 1 Peter 1 : 
2). c. Which call him God (Acts 5 : 3, 4 ; 1 Cor. 
3 : 16, 17 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 16 ; Eph. 2 : 22 ; 1 Cor. 6 : 
19). (2) Personality of the Holy Spirit. In proof 
reference is made : a. To the language of Christ 
(Matt. 28 : 19 ; John 14 : 16 ; 15 : 26 ; 16 : 7-15). 
He designates him by the masculine pronoun " he." 
(See also Eph. 1 : 13, 14.) He used at times the pro- 



The Doctrine of Salvation 1 17 

noun "it/ 1 since the word signifying "spirit " is 
neuter in the Greek language. Independent per. 
sonal action is often predicated of the Holy Spirit 
(John 5 : 19 ; 16 : 13). Christ uses of him the words 
"sent, come, abide, speak, hears, announce, teach, 
guide, bring, reveal," and thus implies the personal- 
ity of the Holy Spirit, b. To the language of the New 
Testament writers. Thus he was associated with 
the Father and the Son (2 Cor. 13 : 14; Matt. 3 : 
16, 17 ; Eph. 2 : 22 ; i Peter 1:2; Rev. 1 : 4, 5). 
He is represented as willing and feeling (Rom. 15 : 
30; 1 Cor. 12 : 11 ; Eph. 4 : 30), and is spoken of 
as a personal agent (1 Cor. 12 : 8-1 1 ; Acts 7:51; 
13 : 2, 4 ; 28 : 25 ; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 14 : 13 ; 3 : 6). 
These passages ascribe choice, feeling, will, to the 
Holy Spirit. God the Father is declared to be the 
efficient cause of all power and works (1 Cor. 12:6). 
But the essential unity of the Godhead is reason 
for this. The one infinite Being works in each Per- 
son of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is called the 
Spirit of God (1 Cor. 12 : 3). But he is also called 
the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6:1 Peter 
1 : 10, 11 ; Acts 16 : 7 ; Phil. 1 : 19). But this 
seems to indicate his special work in the hearts of 
men. This also distinguished him from Christ him- 
self, who appeared in human form. The Being 
called the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, may 
be the one called Spirit of God in the Old Testa- 
ment. It is said that the Holy Spirit is the same to 
God, as man's spirit is to man (1 Cor. 2:11). But 
Paul has said that God is fully known by his Spirit, 



u8 Christian Doctrine 

only as man is known by his own spirit. In regard 
to the whole doctrine of the Trinity, Augustine's 
advice may well be taken : " Hold with unshaken 
faith that the Father and the Son and the Holy 
Spirit are a Trinity, and yet one God, not that 
what is common to them is a fourth divinity, but 
that the Trinity itself is inseparable." We are 
taught that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit 
have personal distinctions, subjectively each is per- 
sonally, though not in substance, distinguishable 
from the others. 

5. Identity of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of 
God. These terms as used by the sacred writers are 
generally equivalent. The latter appellative is in- 
terpreted by the former (Acts 2 : 16 f. ; Joel 3 : 
1-5 ; Acts 10 : 38 ; Mark 12 : 36). The same func- 
tions are ascribed to both. (1) That of quickening 
the understanding of men for special service (John 
11:15; Rom. 12 : 6-8 ; 1 Cor. 12 : 28 ; Exod. 31 : 3, 
6 ; Judg. 3 : 10 ; 1 Sam. 11:6; 16 : 14). (2) That 
of inspiring men to teach the will of God (John 14 : 
26 ; 15 : 26; 16 : 13 ; Luke 1 : 67 ; Acts 21 : 11 ; 
2 Peter 1 : 21 ; 2 Sam. 23 : 2). (3) That of work- 
ing directly in hearts to sanctify them (Rom. 5:5; 
15 : 16 ; John 16 : 8-12 ; 3 : 3-8 ; Ps. 51 : 8-14). 
God is spirit and acts as spirit. But the Holy Spirit 
is a divine person, who has a special office and work 
in the salvation of souls. This work appears in 
conviction, regeneration, and sanctifkation. 

Work of the Holy Spirit. 1 . Relation of the Holy 
Spirit to the Beginning of Christian Life. A Christian 



The Doctrine of Salvation 1 19 

life is holy instead of sinful, subject to the law of 
God, and not-to the law of self. It is animated by 
love to God, is predisposed to holy service, and de- 
lights in communion with the Father. The Holy 
Spirit carrying out the will of Christ is the originator 
of such a life. The Scriptures teach this. See those 
(1) which speak of the origin of spiritual life under 
the figure of generation or birth (1 Peter 1 : 3, 23 ; 
Titus 3:5; John 1:13; John 3 : 3, 5-8 ; 1 John 
2 : 29 ; 4 : 7 ; 5 : 1, 4, 18 ; 1 Cor. 4:15; Gal. 4 : 6). 
2 Peter 1 : 4 is sometimes quoted to prove that the 
Holy Spirit in the new birth imparts somewhat of his 
own essence to the soul. But the text teaches that 
souls are thus brought into moral likeness to the 
divine nature, as to its character or holiness. The 
essence or being of God is not conveyed to men by 
the fulfilling of these promises of God. The words 
"generation" and "born from above," signify the 
new birth as from the Spirit of God, but not as the 
imparting of the divine essence. (2) Which speak of 
the origin of the spiritual life in man under the figure 
of the resurrection from the dead (Rom. 6 : 4, 5 ; 
8 : 11, 13 ; Eph. 2 : 5, 6 ; Gal. 2 : 19, 20). Resur- 
rection is a divine act ; only divine power can effect 
such a change in the moral condition of men. Paul 
speaks of "walking in newness of life, alive from 
the dead, dead in sins, alive in Christ" (Rom. 8 : 
29, 30; 2 Cor. 5 : 15). Their final resurrection 
and exaltation are also assured by this (Rom. 1 : 4). 
" The new life " (Gal. 2 : 19) has God for its end, 
and Christ is supreme. Entrance upon the new 



120 Christian Doctrine 

life (Rom. 6 : 2-14) is dying to the old, yet there 
is no extinction of any faculty of the soul, or any 
diminution of its essence. It implies a new kind of 
life, a ceasing to do evil, a beginning to do well. 
(3) Which speak of the beginning of the Christian 
life under the figure of a creation or a new creature 
(2 Cor. 5 : 17 ; Eph. 2 : 10 ; Gal. 6 : 15). One 
thus becomes a new creature in righteousness and 
holiness, and unto good work (Eph. 4 : 24 ; Col. 
3 : 9, 10). The terms creation and created signify 
an originating divine action or its result. It is a 
new kind of being or life. The man does not cease 
to live, but his life becomes a new, richer, and 
sweeter life, and with this change in his spirit, all 
the works and ways of God seem to change. This 
new creation is the work of the Holy Spirit. (4) 
Which speak of the beginning of the Christian life 
under the figure of a divine calling or drawing unto 
Christ, or into light (John 6 : 44 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 24 ; 
John 12 : 32 ; 5 : 25-29 ; n : 43 ; Rom. 8 : 28-30 ; 
1 Peter 2:951 John 2 : 9, 10). This is " effectual 
calling," the light reveals Christ in his divine loveli- 
ness. The work of the divine Spirit does not con- 
flict with human freedom, nor violate the laws of 
the soul. The work of the Spirit is subconscious, 
it is not resisted by the will of man, but the effects 
may be resisted or rejected, feelings or convictions 
may be resisted ; the Spirit does not compel belief, 
he tends to produce a candid, spiritual, receptive 
temper, responsive to the divine message and lead- 
ing to faith in Christ, 



The Doctrine of Salvation 121 

2. Relation of the Gospel to the Beginning of the 
Christian Life. Truth is spoken of in Scripture as 
the means to effect the beginning of the Christian 
life (1 Peter 1 : 23 ; James 1 : 18 ; 1 Cor. 4 : 15). 
The imperishable seed is the word of God. James 
calls it the word of truth, which is the means by 
which the new life appears in full, conscious being. 
Paul taught of the new life as produced by means of 
the gospel (1 Cor. 4 : 15). Paul preached the gos- 
pel, the Holy Spirit exerted the life-giving power, 
and converts became alive in Christ. (See also 
Matt. 28 : 19; Rom. 10 : 14-17; Matt. 13 : 37, 38; 
Luke 8:11). Religious truth is a means of the new 
life. Truth appeals to the soul, the Spirit prepares 
the soul to welcome and follow it. 

3. Relation of the Sinner to the Beginning of Chris- 
tian Life in Himself. Those who begin the Chris- 
tian life (1) have some knowledge of the gospel 
(Matt. 28 : 19 ; Mark 16 : 15, 16; Rom. 10 : 17, 
18). The history of mankind confirms this view. 
(2) They give earnest heed to the gospel. Con- 
viction of sin may be momentary, but the soul 
takes hold of the word of truth seriously before the 
positive change. (3) They are fully convinced of 
their own guilt (Acts 2 : 37). (4) They are truly 
anxious to be saved (Acts 2 : 37 ; 16 : 30). (5) 
They feel their need of help in order to be saved. 1 
But the antecedents to the beginning of the new 
life place God under no obligation to renew the, 
soul. It must simply trust Christ. With what 

1 See Dr. McLaren on Matt. 9 : 20 f. 



122 Christian Doctrine 

action of the soul does the Christian life begin ? 
The inward life is a unit, the Christian graces grow 
in a cluster. Yet the following order of dependence 
may be named : a. Spiritual discernment. Feel- 
ing seems to depend on vision. Spiritual discern- 
ment may signify the whole spiritual life of the 
soul (John 17 : 3). To know God and to love 
him is to enter into responsive relation to him. 1 
b. Repentance — /ierdvota. This is a turning from self 
to Christ, from the way of sin to the way of right- 
eousness. The word is not used in the New Testa- 
ment to express mere regret or remorse, but it 
means a change of moral purpose or aim. 2 c. Faith. 
This is trust in Christ, as the personal Saviour. It 
is logical evidence of the beginning of the new life. 
It is " the first thing in the world." d. Love. This 
is the soul's supreme preference for God in Christ. 
(See 1 Cor. 13.) Charnock says "the glory of 
God is the end of the new creature, self the end 
of the old man." See Drummond, " The greatest 
thing in the world." Note also the use of the 
words ayd-trr), ayaTzdio in the New Testament, to de- 
note Christian love. e. Hope. This expects good, 
and depends on faith. It lays hold on eternal 
things (Rom. 8 : 24, 25 ; 2 Cor. 2 : 17, 18 ; 1 Peter 

1 : 3, 12). How are the work of the Spirit, the in- 
fluence of truth, and the action of the sinner related 
to each other at the beginning of the Christian life? 
The Spirit of God and the influence of truth concur 

1 See Dorner. 

2 Trench, " Synonyms." Thayer's, " Lexicon of the Greek New Testament." 



The Doctrine of Salvation 123 

in moving the sinner to repent. Under their influ- 
ence his action follows, his new life begins. Hence 
the work of the Holy Spirit should be joined with 
preaching the gospel to unregenerate men. The 
Holy Spirit, using the truth, acts upon the soul. 
The Holy Spirit may act directly, but the word of 
truth cannot thus act. The work of the Spirit is 
the logical antecedent of the word ; both, however, 
act at the same time. The principle of the new 
life, or the new disposition, is given by the Holy 
Spirit, but the action of this life is dependent on 
truth. The conscious image of Christ in the soul 
is produced by the word of God. The Holy Spirit 
makes the soul sensitive to the light of truth when 
that light, pouring in upon it, originates, as a means, 
the visible image of Christ, the new life of faith, 
hope, and love. The action of the Spirit prepares 
the plate ; the influence of truth brings out the 
picture. The soul must be susceptible, or the light 
of truth falls upon it in vain. 1 True Christian ex- 
perience will not fail to be affected by the fact 
that the subtle and gracious influence of the Fa- 
ther's ways, in providence, tend toward the new 
life in Christ. The supposed relation of baptism 
to the beginning of the Christian life may here 
be noticed. 2 

Our appeal is to the New Testament, which sup- 
plies important facts. (1) In the apostolic age bap- 
tism was preceded by repentance and faith (Acts 

1 See Doctor Hovey, "Christian Theology," p. 299. 

2 See Decree of the Council of Trent; The Augsburg Confession; The 
Liturgy of the Church of England. 



124 Christian Doctrine 

2 : 27-41 ; 8:12; 16 : 14, 31-33 ; 18:8; Matt. 28 : 
19 ; Mark 16 : 16 ; Matt. 3:1-11; Mark 1:4, 5 ; 
Luke 3:8; Acts 26 : 20; Luke 23 : 41). (2) Per- 
sons were sometimes filled with the Holy Spirit, 
baptized in the Holy Spirit, and so endowed with 
miraculous gifts before baptism in the water (Acts 
10 : 44-48). The gifts presupposed regeneration, 
and thus justified baptism. (3) Baptism, Peter de- 
scribes as the answer of a good conscience (1 Peter 

3 : 21). But a good conscience is a fruit of regen- 
eration (1 Tim. 1 : 5, 19 ; 3 : 9 ; 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 
9 : 14 ; 10 : 22 ; 13 : 18). (4) Administering the 
ordinance of baptism was esteemed by Paul sub- 
ordinate to the work of preaching (1 Cor. 1 : 
17-21). This is evidently his view in regard to 
his own duty, and it appears also from the way in 
which he generally refers to preaching. He claims 
to have begotten the Corinthian Christians by the 
gospel, and disclaims baptizing them except in a 
few instances (1 Cor. 4:15; 1 : 14-17). 

Some passages have been said to teach baptismal 
regeneration (John 3:5; Titus 3:5; Eph. 5 : 26 ; 
1 Peter 3 : 21 ; Acts 22 : 16). If these passages 
refer at all to the rite of baptism, which is not cer- 
tain, they do not prove the doctrine of baptismal 
regeneration. 1 Baptism is the symbol of regenera- 
tion ; no true Christian of the first Christian age 
could substitute the one for the other. The in- 
ward change and the outward expression of it 
were distinct, though each would suggest the 

1 See Doctor Hovey, "Christian Theology," p. 308. 



The Doctrine of Salvation 125 

other. Thus Christ taught Nicodemus, "Ye must 
be born again," ritually and spiritually. The order 
of thought is rhetorical rather than logical. 1 Paul 
also blends the inward change with the outward 
expression of it (Rom. 6 : 2 f.; Col. 2:11, 12 ; Titus 
3:5; Eph. 5 : 26). 2 In the apostolic age it was the 
rule to be baptized in the name of Christ, and to 
confess him before men in order to be saved (Matt. 
10 : 32, 33 ; 12 : 30 ; Luke 14 : 26, 27, 33). Excep- 
tions to this rule were doubtless those who were 
unable to be baptized on account of disease, oppo- 
sition of parents, or self-distrust. Baptism is not 
a prerequisite to salvation, except as obedience to 
the known will of Christ is such a prerequisite. 

Relation of the Father, the Holy Spirit, the gospel, 
and Christians to the growth of the Christian life. 
This growth is called Sanctification, or the work of 
making a regenerated person holy. 

1 . The relation of the Father to the growth of the 
Christian life. Peter exhorts to growth in grace 
(2 Peter 3 : 18), and Paul prays for this (1 Thess. 
3 : 12). In the Scriptures (1) the Father is repre- 
sented as justifying believers in Christ (Rom. 1 : 
17 ; 3 : 21, 30 ; 4 : 5 ; 8 : 30, 33 ; 10 : 3 ; 2 Cor. 
5 : 21 ; Gal. 3 : 8). Justification is here asserted 
to be an act of free grace on the part of God. In 
himself, apart from Christ, even a believer has no 
claim to it (Rom. 3 : 24 ; 4 : 4, 16 ; 5 : 15-18; 
Eph. 1 : 6, 7). Forgiveness also is a divine favor 

1 See Rom. 10 : 9 ; Doctor Hovey, " Christian Theology," p. 302. 
2 See Doctor Hodge, " Way of Life," p. 267. 



126 Christian Doctrine 

unmerited by the recipient. Yet it is a righteous 
act (i John, i : 9). The believer's title to it is in 
Christ. 

(2) The Father does this by accepting believers 
in Christ as his adopted children, not under law, 
but under grace. The verb "to justify " occurs 
thirty-eight times in the New Testament, mostly 
in the writings of Paul or Luke. 1 The word is a 
legal term and means to pronounce one right, or 
righteous, before the law, rectus in curia (Exod. 
23 : 7 ; Deut. 25 : 1 ; 2 Sam. 15 14). It never 
signifies to make a person righteous, but always to 
declare him righteous. It is used of the decisions 
of an earthly tribunal (Isa. 5 : 23 ; Deut. 25 : 1), 
and of the decisions of the Supreme Ruler at the 
last day (Matt. 12 : 37 ; Rom. 2 : 13, 16). It is 
used as the opposite of condemnation (1 King 8 : 
32 ; Matt. 12 : 37 ; Rom. 8 : 33, 34). It is also 
used as allied to the act of revealing sin, or not 
imputing iniquity (Acts 13 : 38, 39 ; Rom. 4 : 6-8). 
Pardon and justification are separable in thought, 
but in the case of sinners believing in Christ, the 
two are but different sides of the same act. God 
at once pardons and justifies (Mark 1:4; Luke 1 : 
77 ; 3:3; Acts 2 : 38 ; Rom. 3 : 24 ; 5 : 9). It is 
to be added that justification does not free from 
the law of God as a rule of duty (Rom, 6 : 1, 14, 
20 > 7 : 5) 7> 9 5 Gal. 3 : 19). Antinomianism is a 
perversion of the doctrine of grace. Justification 
absolves from retributive penalty, but not from 

1 See Commentary or Lexicon. 



The Doctrine of Salvation 127 

that which chastens or is curative. Both pardon 
and justification are complete at once. God for- 
gives all, and declares the pardoned free from all 
condemnation. But the relation of the believer to 
Christ is ever dependent on a vital union between 
the two (1 Peter 1:15). The blessing of justifica- 
tion is perpetually renewed. Christians ought 
daily to pray for forgiveness of their sins. We 
must then reject the doctrine that justification is 
not only the remission of sins, but the renovation 
and sanctification of the inner man, by a voluntary 
reception of grace and gifts. 

(3) The Father accepts or justifies believers in 
Christ on account of what Christ has done and 
suffered on their behalf. Learn this : a. From the 
direct testimony of God's word (Rom. 3 : 24, 25 ; 
5 : 9, 18, 19 ; Eph. 1:7; Gal. 3:13; 1 John 2 : 
2, 12). It would be difficult to express the fact of 
justification through the vicarious death of Christ 
in plainer language than this. b. From the in- 
direct testimony of God's word (Matt. 26 : 28 ; 1 
Cor. 1 : 30; 15:3; 2 Cor. 5 : 21 ; Gal. 1:4; Col. 
1:14; Heb. 9 : 22 ; 1 Peter 2 : 24). The argu- 
ment for the Godward efficacy of the atonement 
supports this statement, c. The Father justifies 
men on condition of their union with Christ by 
faith. Faith is the condition or prerequisite of justi- 
fication (Mark 16 : 16 ; John 3 : 36 ; 6 : 40 ; Acts 
16 : 31 ; Gal. 2 : 16 ; 3 : 22 ; 1 John 5 : 10, 12 ; 
Rom. 3 : 22, 28 ; 4 : 5, 13, 14 ; 5:1; Eph. 2:8; 
Heb. 11 : 6). Faith is spoken of in a secondary 



128 Christian Doctrine 

sense as the source (ex with genitive, or the instru- 
ment with the dative), or the means (&a with geni- 
tive), of justification. (See Rom. i : 17 ; 3 : 20 ; 
4:16; 5:1; 9 : 30, 32 ; 10 : 6 ; 14 : 23). 1 The 
spiritual union of believers with Christ is such that 
they have fellowship with the work of Christ. In 
dying to sin the believer dies with Christ, enters 
into the meaning of the Saviour's death. The im- 
putation of Christ's work is mediate, not imme- 
diate, to the believer as such, and not to the elect 
as such. A moral union is prerequisite to the legal 
one. The logical order of the process of redemp- 
tion is a. election by God, the Father ; b. regene- 
ration by the Holy Spirit ; c. union with Christ by 
faith ; d. imputation of Christ's work ; e. justifica- 
tion on account of that work. Relation of justi- 
fication by God, the Father, to growth and grace, 
or sanctification. Such is the practical relation of 
the one to the other that sanctification depends 
upon justification as its necessary antecedent (Rom. 
5 : 1, 11 ; 6:15, 17, 22 ; 8 : 17, 30-32). Leading 
Christian thinkers follow this teaching of Paul : 
" Being made free from sin, ye have your fruit 
unto sanctification and the end eternal life." The 
Father's relation to the growth of believers in 
their Christian life appears in his providence. 
This tends to increase the purity and fruitful- 
ness of Christian life. This is learned : a. From 
God's word, (a) In respect to prosperity (Ps. 
145 : 7; Rom. 2 : 4. (b) In respect to adversity 

1 See Doctor Hovey, "Christian Theology," p. 309. 



The Doctrine of Salvation 129 

(Rom. 5 : 3 f.; 1 Cor. 7.1 : 32 ; Heb. 12 : 6 ; 2 Cor. 
4 : 17). (c) In respect to all events (Rom. 8 : 28 ; 
2 Cor. 4 : 15 ; Eph. 5 : 20 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 21, 22). 
b. From experience and observation. Prosperity 
may increase thankfulness ; adversity may lead to 
trust in Christ. 

2. Relation of the Holy Spirit to the growth of 
believers in Christian life. Sanctification is a pro- 
cess, consisting in a gradual increase of faith, hope, 
love, and a decrease of pride, avarice, sensuality, 
selfishness. The Holy Spirit is the author of growth 
in grace, or sanctification. In the Scriptures (1) 
spiritual discernment or knowledge is traced to the 
Holy Spirit as its source (1 Cor. 2 : 13-16 ; 1 John 
2 : 20, 27 ; Eph. 1 : 17 ; Col. 1 : 9). Paul teaches 
that the unconverted man is unable to receive the 
things of God, because they are spiritually dis- 
cerned ; while the renewed man rightly estimates 
all things, he appreciates the truth. John speaks 
of the Holy Spirit as an unction, or anointing from 
Christ, the Holy One. Thereby the essential princi- 
ples of the gospel are known, and whatever is 
antichristian is detected and discarded. (2) Be- 
cause the Christian virtues are traced to the Holy 
Spirit as their source (Gal. 5 : 22 ; Rom. 12 : 3 ; 1 
Cor. 12 : 3, 9; 2 Cor. 4 : 13). These virtues are 
called the fruit of the Spirit ; the Christian's ex- 
pectant attitude is ascribed to the agency of the 
Holy Spirit. God gives every Christian his meas- 
ure of faith by the operation of the Holy Spirit in 
the soul. (3) Because Christian conduct and wor- 

I 



130 . Christian Doctrine 

ship are ascribed to the Holy Spirit as their source 
(Rom. 8 : 14 ; Gal. 4 : 6 ; Eph. 5 : 18, 19). The 
sons of God are led or moved by the Spirit; prayer 
is ascribed to the influence of the Spirit, also the 
singing of hymns and praise (1 Cor. 14:15; Phil. 

1 : 6). (4) Because the Christian's conflict with 
evil propensities and his victory are traced to the 
Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5 : 17). (5) Be- 
cause the spiritual life of believers depends on their 
union with Christ, who dwells in them by his Spirit 
(John 15 : 1-6 ; 14 : 16-21 ; Eph. 2 : 16, 17 ; Rom. 
8 : 8-10). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit refers 
to the "highest blessing" of the new covenant, in 
which the Holy Spirit is the immanent vital prin- 
ciple of the. redeemed. In the. Old Testament he 
overshadows momentarily individual, men of God ; 
in the New Testament he abides perfectly in the 
heart of the Christian. 1 The doctrine of the Trin- 
ity underlies the various representations of divine 
action. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the 
indwelling of the Father and Son as well. (6) Be- 
cause the work of sanctification is directly ascribed 
to the Holy Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 

2 Cor. 3 : 18). Regeneration and inspiration are 
ascribed to the Holy Spirit, and the work of sanc- 
tification belongs to the same sphere of action with 
those; analogy would therefore lead us to refer 
them all to the same agent. The work of the Holy 
Spirit embraces whatever is done in the human 
soul by special divine agency. 

1 See Van Oosterzee. 



The Doctrine of Salvation 13 1 

3. Relation of religious truth to growth of Chris- 
tian-life. Truth is a means of sanctification used 
by the Holy Spirit, its living author; while the 
heart is made susceptible, by the action of the 
Spirit, every truth presented serves to elicit and 
strengthen holy affections, desires, or volitions. 
That religious truth is used in sanctifying. believers 
is taught (1) by the direct testimony of God's word 
(John 6 : 63 ; 17:17; 8:32; Heb. 5 : 12-14 ; 2 
Tim. 3 : 16, 17 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 12 ; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 
Peter 1 : 3, 4; Ps. 119 : 9, 50, 80,93, 104, 130, 165). 
The word "sanctify" includes consecration to a 
holy service, and moral preparation for that service 
(2 Peter 3 : 18). (2) By the implied testimony of 
God's word (Eph. 1 : 8, 9, 17, 18 ; 4 : 11, 12 ; 1 Cor. 
l 4 '• 3~5)« (3) By the nature of the human soul. 
For the word of God contains the moral and re- 
ligious truths which tend to elicit and strengthen 
faith, hope, loye, and holy exercises; 

4. Relation of believers to the growth of Chris- 
tian life in themselves and others. Christian ac- 
tion has an influence for sanctification. (1) Secret 
prayer or worship is an exercise of the Christian 
which contributes to growth in grace. By- wor- 
ship is meant the homage'of the soul paid to God. 
It is sufficient to consider the nature, duty, and. 
efficacy of prayer, a. The nature of prayer. It 
has four elements, (a) Adoration, or homage to 
the holy God. (b) Thanksgiving, or homage to 
the beneficent God. (o) Confession of sin, or 
homage to the righteous God. (d) Petition, or 



132 Christian Doctrine 

homage to the gracious God. Christ taught as to 
prayer that petitions should be offered to himself, 
or to the Father in his name (John 14 : 13; 15 : 
16; 16 : 23, 24). There must be trust in Jesus as 
Mediator, Intercessor, Saviour. Belief must be in 
him as well as in the Father (John 14 : 1). God 
answers prayer in and through Christ. (2) This 
was understood by his disciples (Acts 1 : 24 ; 2:21; 
7 : 59 ; 9 : 14, 21 ; 22 : 16 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 2). Christ 
never refused worship offered to him on earth ; the 
heavenly hosts pay homage to him (Rev. 4 : 2-1 1). 
(3) There is no impropriety in praying to the Holy 
Spirit. "The Lord's Prayer" was not meant to 
be a set form to be used by Christians in social 
worship, but a type or model of prayer for the 
disciples of Christ, and containing perhaps the ele- 
ments of all prayer. Prayer must be offered in 
faith. It is submission to the divine will. Prayer 
should be often vocal, though silent prayer may at 
times be best. 

It is urged against prayer in the form of petition : 
a. That it is based on human ignorance. 1 But men 
are moral beings, trained to virtue by moral action. 
God may be influenced by prayer, as by any 
other moral act of man. This agrees with the 
providence of God. God has endowed his chil- 
dren with a nature which expresses itself in de- 
sires. He has promised to hear and answer prayer. 
In the kingdom of Christ the humblest member 
may act in moral things. The Ruler has the heart 

1 See Tyndall, " The Prayer Gauge." 



The Doctrine of Salvation 133 

of a father toward all ; he treats them as children. 
Petition is normal and useful, it offers the means of 
filial intercourse with the Ruler in time of need. 
The Fatherhood of God reveals the secret of 
prayer. b. Another objection is based on the 
order of nature which is sacred and inviolable. 
But we believe the divine order includes prayer 
and its answer. God may make use of physical 
forces in answering prayer. He is infinite and 
can direct such forces and accomplish such ends 
as he pleases. He may have pre-adjusted the 
forces of nature so as to answer prayer by them. 
To deny the use of physical forces in answer- 
ing prayer is to deny that it is answered at all. 
It is reasonable to suppose that God can do what 
man can do in using the powers of nature to ra- 
tional ends. But the teaching of Scripture is that 
God answers prayer (Matt. 7 : 7 f. ; 18 : 19 ; 21 : 
22 ; Luke n : 13 ; Jas. 1 : 5 f. ; 4 : 2, 3 ; 5 ; 
16 f.; 5 : 14 ; Exod. 32 : 7 f.). Christ prayed and 
taught his disciples to pray. The most earnest and 
efficient Christians have been men of prayer. They 
believed God, who is a rewarder of those who seek 
him. Prayer is conducive to growth in grace. The 
highest cultivation of intellect, sensibility, and will, 
in obedience to Christ, promotes growth in grace. 
Prayer is the exercise of the soul in its highest as 
well as its lowest stage of spiritual culture. What 
constitutes the full answer to prayer may all be in- 
cluded in the gift of the Holy Spirit. (See Luke 
11 : 13 ; John 15 and 16.) 



PART V 

SERVICE AND ORDINANCES 

THESE are ordained by our Lord while they are 
for us. 

I. Christian Service. This is directly de- 
voted to his disciples and other men (Matt. 25 : 
34-40). Labor for others promotes personal sanc- 
tification (John 7 : 17 ; Ps. 119 : 100). It ex- 
presses the nature of true religion, whose highest 
principle is love. It conforms to the constitution 
of the soul, and is illustrated in the history of the 
working disciples of Christ. 

1. Social Worship. This has a large place in 
Christian service and life. The duty of social 
worship is evident since (1) it is enjoined and en- 
couraged in the word of God (Heb. 10 : 25 ; Col. 
3 : 16 ; Matt. 18 : 19, 20). (2) It was observed by 
apostles (Acts 1 : 13 f.; 2:1 f.). (3) It is implied in 
the organization of the church and the family. The 
benefits of social worship are : That it promotes 
growth in grace, enkindling devotion to God, bring- 
ing into exercise brotherly love, securing special 
blessings, in answer to united prayer. It also pre- 
serves from apostasy, stimulates to activity, unites 
life and force, and augments the Christian graces. 
For the same reasons Christian life and worship 
134 



Service and Ordinances 155 

in the family must hold a large place. Christian 
graces there illustrate growth into the likeness of 
the Lord. Family worship should not be neglected ; 
thus Christian character is tested and blessed. 

2. Positive Institutions of the Christian Religion. 
Christian Churches. Relation of churches and or- 
dinances to the growth of Christian life. By the 
power of church life the sanctification of men and 
the spread of Christianity are promoted. In regard 
to the constitution, government, and work of a 
Christian church, we are taught (i) that the apos- 
tles by word or action determined what was to be 
the polity of Christian churches to the end of time 
(1 Cor. 14 : 33, 40; 12 : 12 f.; 4 : 17 ; 7 : 17 ; n : 
16, 34 ; Acts 14 : 23 ; Titus 1:5; Acts 20 : 17 f.; Phil, 
1:1; Heb. 13 : 7, 17 ; Acts 20 : 28 ; • 1 Peter 5 : 14 ; 
Titus 2: 15; 1 Cor. 9 : 7-1 1, 14; Gal. 6: 6; 1 Tim. 
3:15; 5 : 17, 18 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 1— 13 ; 2 Thess. 3:6; 
1 Cor. 16 : 1, 2 ; 14 : 34-36 ; 1 Tim. 2:12; Acts 14 : 
26, 28 ; 15 : 2, 3). These passages teach : a. That 
order should reign in the churches, every member 
filling his place and doing his work. b. That Paul 
taught the same principles and practices in all the 
churches under his care. c. That he organized the 
churches and appointed elders or pastors over them 
whenever there was a group of converts, d. That 
these elders had the same rank and work in the 
churches, e. That they were entitled to a reasona- 
ble support, if they gave their whole time to their 
work. /. That churches were charged with the 
duty of maintaining Christian doctrine and disci- 



136 Christian Doctrine 

pline. (2) That the word "church" is used to de- 
note a society of baptized believers, maintaining 
the worship and ordinances of Christ according to 
his will (Matt. 18 : 17; Acts 5 : 11 ; 8 : 1 ; 11 : 22, 
26 ; 12:1,5; 13:1; 14 : 23, 27 ; 15 : 3, 4, 22, 41 ; 
16 : 5 ; 18 : 22 ; 20 : 17, 28 ; Rom. 16 : 1, 4, 16, 23 ; 
1 Cor. 1 : 2 ; 4 : 17 ; 6 : 4 ; 7 : 17 ; 10 : 32 ; 11 : 16, 
18, 22 ; 14 : 4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33, 34, 35 ; 16 : 1, 
19). The term occurs about ninety times in the 
New Testament. The word ecclesia is used once 
perhaps (Acts 9 : 31) to denote all the churches in 
certain provinces, or because there was but one 
organized church therein. It is used perhaps seven- 
teen times of all Christians in heaven and on earth 
(Eph. 1 : 22 ; 3 : 10), and three times of a public 
assembly. Twice it is used of the Jewish congre- 
gation (Acts 7 : 38 ; Heb. 2 : 12). (3) That the 
relation of the members of a Christian church to 
one another is that of equality and fraternity (Matt. 
23 : 8 ; Acts 6:351 Cor. 8 : 12 ; Gal. 3 : 26 f.; 
4:7; 6 : 10 ; Eph. 2 : 18 f.; Heb. 3:651 Tim. 
6 : 2 ; 1 Peter 2:9; 5:3; Rev. 1 : 6). Social and 
civic distinctions do not affect one's position in the 
church. (4) That it belongs to every church as a 
whole to receive and exclude members (Rom. 14 : 
1 ; Matt. 18 : 17 ; 1 Cor. 5:13; 2 Thess. 3 : 6, 14 ; 
Titus 3 : 10, 11 ; Acts 1 : 23 ; 6 : 3-5). (5) A Chris- 
tian church ought to receive into its membership 
those only who are baptized on profession of their 
faith, and who have reasonably correct views of 
Christian doctrine. It seems proper to receive per- 



Service and Ordinances 137 

sons to church-membership as soon as they give to 
the members of the church satisfactory evidence 
of faith, and desire to obey Christ's commands. 
(6) The members of a Christian church are respon- 
sible for the proper discipline of offenders belonging 
to the body (Matt. 18 : 15-17 ; 5 : 23, 24 ; 1 Cor. 
5 : 1— 13 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 19, 20 ; 2 Tim. 2 : 17, 18 ; Titus 
3 : 10 ; 2 Thess. 3:6; 1 Tim. 5 : 8, 19). There 
appear to be five kinds of offenses which may re- 
quire a person's exclusion : a. Wronging a brother, 
and refusing satisfaction, b. Gross immorality. 
c. Inculcating religious error, d. Causing division 
in the church, e. Idleness, meddlesomeness, or 
disregard of family or social obligations. Charges 
against members, especially against pastors, should 
be received only when sustained by the proper 
testimony of two or three witnesses. The advice 
or counsel of judicious brethren or delegates from 
other churches may be sought when needed. The 
business meetings of the church should be properly 
called, that members may have opportunity to be 
present and to act. 

(7) It belongs to a Christian church to select for 
official service such of its members as it deems 
qualified for the same (Acts 1 : 21 f. ; 6 : 3 ; 13 : 
2:3; 14 : 26, 27 ; 15 : 2). 

(8) As a rule, churches should respect the action 
of one another ; for they are under the same law, 
animated by the same spirit, seeking the same end, 
and entrusted with equal authority. In general 
the regular ordination of a minister by one church 



138 Christian Doctrine 

may be accepted by others as valid. Likewise the 
discipline of one church should be treated as valid 
by others. The action of so-called churches, dif- 
fering essentially in doctrine and policy from the 
New Testament standard, need not be considered 
as claiming the recognition here taught. 

(9) Churches may combine their resources and 
influence for the furtherance of religious or benevo- 
lent enterprises. Systematic and united evangeli- 
cal and missionary efforts appear to be blessed by 
such union. 

(10) Particular functions pertain to the members 
of a Christian church as laical, diaconal, ministe- 
rial or pastoral. 

a. The lay members are to respect their officers 
and with the deacons are to compensate the pastors 
for their official work (Heb. 13 17, 17; Gal. 6 : 
6 ; 1 Tim. 5:17, 18 ; 1 Cor. 9 : 7-14). b. The 
deacons are to aid the pastor in the subordinate 
duties of his office, especially in caring for the sick 
and the poor (Acts 6 : if.; Rom. 12 : 7 ; 16 : 1, 
2 ; 1 Cor. 12 : 28 ; Phil. 1 : 1 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 8-12). 
In the earliest period of Christian churches it is 
probable that deacons distributed the bread and 
wine at the Lord's Supper. 1 Deacons selected by 
the church of which they are members, may be 
set apart to their work by prayer and other religious 
exercises, c. Pastors of Christian churches, called 
of God to their service, and regularly ordained, 
are to watch over the churches they serve, instruct 

1 See Justin Martyr, " First Apology." 



Service and Ordinances 139 

them in the gospel, rebuke false teachers, refute 
their errors, insist upon suitable discipline, and be 
leaders, teachers, and examples to all in spiritual 
things (Acts 20 : 17, 28 ; Eph. 4 : 11, 12 ; Phil. 1 : 
1 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 1-7 ; 5:1,17; Titus 1 : 5-9 ; Heb. 
1 3 : 7, 17 ; 1 Peter 5 : 1-4 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 1 1-14 ; 2 
Tim. 2 : 2). 1 On the use of the word pastors, see 
Eph. 4:11; John 21 : 16 ; Acts 20 : 28 ; 1 Peter 
5 : 2. On the word teachers, see Eph. 4:11; 
Acts 13:1; 1 Cor. 12 : 28, 29 ; 1 Tim. 2:752 
Tim. 1 : 11. On the word bishops, Acts 20 : 28 ; 
Phil. 1 : 1 ; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1 : 7. On the 
word elders, Acts 11 : 30 ; 14 : 23 ; 15 : 2-23 ; 16 : 

4 ; 20 : 17 ; 1 Tim. 4 : 14 ; 5 : 17, 19 ; Titus 1 : 

5 ; James 5 : 14. On the word evangelist, see 
Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5. " The 
evangelists had no pastoral charge, but traveled 
from place to place as they had opportunity." 2 
They were like modern missionaries, itinerant 
preachers, who founded churches and gave them 
in charge of pastors or teachers. The work of an 
evangelist was that of a missionary bishop, 
preacher, or teacher. On presidents or leaders, 
see 1 Thess. 5 : 12 ; Heb. 13 : 7, 17, 24. The 
words " elders, overseers, bishops," refer to the 
same office. They are used interchangeably, the 
same qualifications are required. Overseers and 
deacons are named as if they were the only officers 
in a church. The "angels of the seven churches," 

a See various works on pastoral theology, as Hoppin, Vinet, Ripley, Way- 
land, Hall, Storrs, Taylor, Blaikie, Porter, Broadus, Mcllvaine, Day. 
2 Doctor Hackett. 



140 Christian Doctrine 

Rev. i : 20, were probably bishops, overseers, or 
pastors. Bishops were overseers in the church, 
not lords over it. They must be apt to teach, and 
were to attend to the spiritual interest of the 
church ; preaching was their principal work. The 
authority of pastors is moral, depending on their 
character, call from God, their Christian knowledge, 
and position as religious teachers. Pastors are to 
be selected by the whole church, and to be set 
apart to their office by the aid and approval of a 
council of ministers and laymen appointed from 
other churches. Ordination should include prayer 
and the laying on of hands. The vote of a 
properly organized council, recognizing one as 
called of God to the ministry, and deciding to set 
him apart to that work is an essential act in ordi- 
nation (i Tim. 5 : 22). Ministers passing from one 
evangelical denomination to another may properly 
appear before a council for examination and recogni- 
tion. Ordination even might be suitable as a usage 
in any case that seemed to require it. Pastors 
and churches may be God's agents in directing the 
minds of suitable men to the ministry. It appears 
from Rom. 16 : 1-4; 1 Tim. 3 : 11 ; 5 : 3, 9 ; 
1 Tim. 2 : 12-15, that women are not eligible to 
the office of pastors, but may be helpers, mission 
workers, deaconesses, ministering in good works. 
Inspired apostles and prophets of the first Christian 
age have had no successors. They still speak to 
us in the New Testament ; all Christians should 
obey their word. 



Service and Ordinances 141 

II. Christian Ordinances, Two ordinances only 
are enjoined on Christians in the New Testament, 
baptism and the Lord's Supper. They both teach 
the vital doctrines of the gospel. 

1. Christian baptism, the external rite, its signifi- 
cance, its subjects, its relation to John's baptism. 
(1) The external rite. This consists, according to 
the New Testament, in an immersion of the candi- 
date in water unto, or into, the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is 
learned : a. from the meaning and use of the word 
fia7tTiX<D. Bapti^o is employed by Christ and the 
apostles to denote this rite. To this view the best 
lexicographers assent. 1 b. From the use of X6va> t 
louo, and Mmpov, loutron. This verb Doctor Robin- 
son says signifies to wash the entire body, not 
merely a part of it. c. From the circumstances 
mentioned in connection with baptism (Mark 1:9; 
John 3 : 23 ; Acts 8 : 38, 39). d. From references 
to the ritual act in stating its import (Rom. 6 : 3-5 ; 
Col. 2:12; see Lightfoot). This was the customary 
rite in the apostolic age. e. From the general prac- 
tice of the "early churches," that is the churches 
of the second and beginning of the third century. 2 
This practice is thus seen to follow the teaching 
and practice of the apostles. /. From the practice 
of the Greek Church down to the present time. 
High authorities confirm this statement. 3 g. From 
the concessions of many who practise affusion or 

1 Sophocles, Liddell and Scott, Robinson, Thayer, Grimm. 

2 See Doctor Strong, p. 525, on the " Didache." 

3 See Dean Stanley and others. 



142 Christian Doctrine 

sprinkling. 1 The Greek prepositions, hs, h>, £*, are 
such in their meaning and use as to confirm this 
view of baptism. The form of the rite is the rite, 
for the rite itself is a form. - The formula is given 
in Matt. 28 : 19. 

(2) Significance of the rite. a. It symbolizes the 
regeneration of the subject, as being a dying to 
sin, and a rising to holiness (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2 : 
12). It symbolizes also participation in the death 
and resurrection of Christ, b. It commemorates 
the accomplished death and resurrection of Christ 
(Rom. 6:3 ; Col. 2 : 12 ; Mark 10 : 38, 39 ; Luke 
12 : 50).. 2 c. It represents this regeneration as a 
purifying change (Acts 22 : 16 ; Eph. 5 : 26 ; 1 Peter 
3 : 21 ; Titus 3 : 5). "Water of purification, " pre- 
pared after a special recipe and used in Mosaic rites, 
according to specific direction, is not referred to by 
Christ or the apostles, in connection with the Chris- 
tian rite of baptism. (See Ezek. 36 : 25 ; Num. 19 : 
11-22 ; 8 : 5-22 ; Heb. 9 : 13, 14.) They relate 
to "purifying the flesh." Regeneration is a spirit- 
ually purifying change, of which immersion in 
water is an impressive symbol. Baptism is emblem- 
atic of the candidate's experience; it is an act of 
confession by which conscience is obeyed, and the 
soul is filled with peace (1 Peter 3 : 21). Regularly 
ordained ministers of the gospel may fitly adminis- 
ter the ordinance. Its validity, however, depends 

'See Stanley, Howson, Robertson, Mozley, Chalmers, Pressense, Meyer, 
De Wette, Tholuck, Riickert, Neander, Olshausen, Ebrard, Ellicott, Lange, 
Lightfoot, Keil. 

2 See Dollinger, Lightfoot, and Messner. 



Service and Ordinances 143 

upon the fact that it expresses the candidate's 
union with Christ. 

(3) The subjects of the rite. Believers in Christ 
are entitled to baptism, and only those who give evi- 
dence of faith in him should be baptized. In proof 
of this we refer : a. To the Great Commission 
(Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1 : 21). 
There must be first discipleship before the public 
profession. 1 b. To the practice of the apostles 
and their contemporaries (Acts 2 : 38, 41 ; 8 : 12, 
13; 9 : 18; 10 : 44, 47; 16 : 14, 15, 31, 33 ; 18 : 
8). Faith in Christ, it is thus taught* preceded 
baptism, c. To apostolic language concerning it 
(Rom. 6 : 3, 4 ; Gal. 3 : 27 ; 1 Peter 3 : 21). This 
last passage indicates the candidate's purity of re- 
ligious intention, resulting from a belief of the gos- 
pel, and desire to obey the Lord. d. To the 
general usage of the church for upward of two 
centuries. 2 This rite is observed by multitudes of 
Christians at the present time, the apostolic prac- 
tice remaining as the constant rule. The doctrine 
of '■'- baptismal regeneration " is to be rejected since 
it sets aside the teaching of the Scriptures as 
already cited. 3 - - 

(4) The relation of the rite to John's baptism. 
Two views claim notice: a. That Christian bap- 
tism is entirely distinct from John's baptism, be- 
cause (a) John the Baptist belonged to the old dis- 
pensation (Matt. 11 : if.). But John may have 

lu See Doctor Hovey, "Christian Theology," p. 351. 
2 See ecclesiastical histories. 
3 See Acts 10 : 47; Doctor Strong, " Systematic Theology," p. 532. •' " 



144 Christian Doctrine 

belonged also to the new. Christ, as well as John, 
passed the most of his life under the Mosaic law. 
John pointed men to Christ. He introduced a new 
era ; his relation to Judaism may not have forbidden 
him to introduce by divine authority an ordinance 
belonging to Christianity. (&) He could not have 
baptized in the name of the Trinity. But did he 
not baptize in the name of the coming One ? He 
did require allegiance to Christ and the Spirit, as 
well as to the Father (Luke 3 : 18 ; John 1 : 29- 
36 ; 3 : 25 f. ; Acts 19 : 4). (c) That baptism was 
sometimes repeated when John's disciples embraced 
Christianity as preached by apostles after the Pen- 
tecost (Acts 19 : 1 f.). But there is no proof that 
John himself baptized these persons ; they certainly 
had not received suitable instruction, such as John 
gave, as to Christ or the Holy Spirit, b. For the 
second view it may be said : (a) That the act in 
both cases was the same, and represented the same 
inward change (Matt. 3 : 6f. ; Mark 1 : 4f. ; Luke 
3 : 3f. ; 17 : 30; 20 : 3 f.). (b) That repentance 
toward God and faith in the Messiah, as the giver 
of the Holy Spirit, were required in both cases 
(Matt. 3 : 10 f. ; Mark 1 : 7 f . ; Luke 3 : 15 f. ; John 
1 : 27 f. ; Acts 19 : 4). John invited none but re- 
newed persons to his baptism. John preached "a 
baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins." 
" Confession of sins " was made by those whom 
he baptized. " Fruits meet for repentance " were 
required by him. (c) Baptism was not repeated 
when his followers became disciples of Christ. 



Service and Ordinances 145; 

There is no evidence of their rebaptism. The 
apostles were only baptized with John's baptism 
(John 1 : 35-49 ; 4 : 1, 2). Jesus himself sub- 
mitted to John's baptism, and the new dispensa- 
tion is represented as beginning with the work of 
John (Luke 16 : 16 ; Acts 10 : 36, 37 ; John 1 : 
22 f.) Thus the weight of evidence favors the 
belief that Christian baptism began with that of 
John the Baptist. 

3. The Lord's Supper. Consider this external rite, 
its import, the proper communicants. (1) The ex- 
ternal rite (Matt. 26 : 26-29 J Mark 14 : 22-25 5 Luke 
22 : 19, 20; 1 Cor. 11 : 23-25). a. The elements 
were bread and wine, unleavened bread (1 Cor. 5 : 
7, 8), "this fruit of the vine." b. The ritual use 
embraced (a) eucharistic prayers, (b) breaking of 
bread, and giving of the wine by the presiding 
officer, c. The eating and drinking of the respec- 
tive elements by all the communicants. Singing 
followed, probably Psalms 115, 118. 

(2) The import of the Lord's Supper. The ele- 
ments represent the body and blood of Jesus. Their 
reception a. symbolizes the reception by faith of 
Christ crucified as the source and support of spir- 
itual and eternal life (1 Cor. 10 : 16 ; John 6:51- 
54; 1 Cor. 10 : 15-21); b. commemorates the 
atoning death of Christ, or Christ as the sacrifice 
for sin (1 Cor. 11 : 24, 26; 5 : 7). The emblems 
are memorials bringing Calvary to mind and stimu- 
lating faith and love ; £. typifies the marriage sup- 
per of the Lamb, or future blessedness in the pres- 

K 



146 Christian Doctrine 

ence of Christ (Matt. 26 : 29; Mark 14 : 25 ; 1 
Cor. 11 : 26 ; Matt. 22 : 2 f. ; 25 : 10 ; Rev. 19 : 7- 
9). The paschal lamb was a type of Christ ; the 
paschal supper bore some resemblance to the Lord's 
Supper. Breaking bread and pouring wine are im- 
portant parts of the ordinance ; they increase its 
commemorative power. The withholding of the 
cup from laymen is not authorized by the word of 
God. The doctrines of transubstantiation and sac- 
rifice of the mass are unscriptural. The elements 
are merely emblems of Christ's body and blood. 
The times for observing should be frequent, but 
seem to be left to the judgment of Christians. 

(3) The proper communicants, a. None but 
credible believers in Christ should be invited to the 
Lord's Supper. This appears from : {a) The import 
of the ordinance. It is a memorial of the dying 
Saviour ; unbelievers cannot properly commemorate 
his death, (b) The example of apostolic churches. 
Believers under apostolic guidance came together 
to observe the ordinance, (c) The caution Paul 
gave to the Corinthians. Self-examination was re- 
quired that the Lord's body might be discerned (1 
Cor. 11 : 28). b. Believers who have been bap- 
tized may properly be invited to the Lord's Supper. 
This because of (a) the relation of the two ordi- 
nances to each other as symbols. Baptism sym- 
bolizes the beginning of the new life, the Lord's 
Supper its nourishment. In baptism the believer 
publicly declares his allegiance to Christ ; at the 
Lord's table he takes his place among the friends 



Service and Ordinances 147 

of Jesus ; (b) the practice of Christian churches 
in the apostolic age. No unbaptized persons are 
reported as present at the Lord's table. In no 
case is the Lord's Supper put before baptism. 
Jesus had been baptized, and likewise doubtless all 
his disciples, by John. c. None but those whose 
church walk is orderly should be invited to the 
Lord's Supper. Proof. (a) Membership in a 
Christian church naturally precedes the partaking 
of the eucharist. Baptism is called the door into 
the church, and membership follows as a matter of 
course, (b) The Lord's Supper is a church rite, 
and should be restricted to church-members in 
regular fellowship. Thus its purity and moral sig- 
nificance are preserved. (See i Cor. 10 : 16, 17 ; 
11 : 18-24.) This view is confirmed by the fact 
that Christians came together " in church " to ob- 
serve the Lord's Supper (Acts 2 : 41, 42). These 
Christians were a church, e.g., "the church at Je- 
rusalem." This church met in private houses, not in 
the temple nor synagogue ; thus they are described 
as "breaking bread from house to house." (c) 
Christ first administered the rite, not to the unor- 
ganized multitude of Christians, but to the little 
band of his disciples, who were a select body, con- 
stituting a church separate from the world and 
associated together in the service of Christ. 
Finally, this ordinance seems to have been re- 
stricted by the early Christians to church-mem- 
bers. 1 Three prerequisites were laid down — faith, 

1 See Justin Martyr, " First Apology," Chap. 66. 



148 Christian Doctrine 

baptism, and orderly walk. These were insisted 
upon long after this date. 1 

4. Effect of Church Life. This is seen (1) in the 
spirit of obedience it cultivates. It requires at the 
outset an act of obedience, a public profession of 
faith in Christ. Church life is a continuous school 
of obedience. (2) It maintains the practice of 
social worship. This form of worship promotes 
growth in grace : a. By enkindling in the heart 
higher devotion to God. b. By bringing into 
larger exercise brotherly love. c. By securing a 
special blessing from God ; united prayer and obe- 
dient service are followed by signal favors through 
Christ. Indeed, it is not easy to overestimate the 
spiritual benefit of social and public worship to be- 
lievers. (3) It secures an increase of Christian 
knowledge. This is done by the preaching of the 
gospel, by the study of God's word, by the vivid 
representation of vital truth in the ordinances. 
(4) It originates and stimulates labor for the good 
of others. Thus associated Christians act with 
more success in diffusing the gospel and saving 
souls. (5) It promotes, by its discipline, spiritual 
watchfulness and consistency. Church discipline 
is a means of grace. 

5. Relation of the Lord's 'Day to the Growth of 
the Christian Life. The duty of consecrating the 
Lord's Day to religious usage rests upon the authori- 
tative example of the apostles (Acts 20 : 7 ; 1 Cor. 
16 : 2 ; Rev. 1 : 10 ; Heb. 10 : 25). This is con- 

1 See Doctor Hovey, "Systematic Theology," p. 371. 



Service and Ordinances 149 

firmed : (1) By the practice of the early churches, 1 
(2) By the Sabbath-keeping enjoined on the chil- 
dren of Israel (Exod. 20 : 8 f.). (3) By the original 
sanctification of the seventh day (Gen. 2 : 2, 3). 
(4) By the words of Christ affirming that the Sab- 
bath was made for man (Mark 2 : 27). The prac- 
tice of the apostles and the early Christians tends 
to establish very firmly the distinction between the 
Lord's Day and the Jewish Sabbath. The fourth 
commandment required the children of Israel to set 
apart one day in seven from secular toil to religious 
service ; and the primeval institution of the Sab- 
bath shows that it was meant for all mankind. The 
reason of its existence, declared by Christ, fully 
accounts for the change from the last to the first 
day of the week made by the apostles. Since the 
resurrection of Christ the first day of the week 
takes precedence of every other day in religious 
interest. Christians feel the highest interest in the 
finishing of the atoning work of Christ. Knowledge 
of redemption, rather than creation, is what sinful 
man most needs. The Lord's Day commemorates 
Christ's finished work of atonement, which is ready 
to be applied by the gospel and the grace of Christ. 
This then is the day of highest significance and 
greatest spiritual influence to sinful men. 

6. The Manner of Keeping the Lord's Day. 
While much is left to the Christian's judgment, 
conscience, love of Christ, and desire to win men 
to him show it to be the duty of Christians to con- 

1 See testimony of Justin Martyr. 



i jo Christian Doctrine 

form to the spirit which finds no occasion for secu- 
lar business or selfish indulgence on the Lord's 
Day. Employments on the Lord's Day should be 
(i) those which belong to religious service, or are 
immediately prerequisite to it. Religious service 
includes not only public worship, but all labor for 
the salvation of men ; (2) those which are neces- 
sary for preserving life and health, and are re- 
quired to prevent or relieve severe suffering in man 
or beast. These acts should be done in the spirit 
of Christ, who left us his gracious example. The 
idea of rest was prominent in the law of the Jew- 
ish Sabbath ; spiritual activity and joy characterize 
followers of Christ. On the Lord's Day as a civil 
institution, see Doctor Hovey, "Christian Ethics." 
The Christian law for the Lord's Day is that re- 
ligious activities should prevail ; study, meditation, 
prayer, social worship, systematic co-operative labor 
for the religious life of the world are to occupy and 
give new tone and energy to personal faith on the 
Lord's Day, such as shall extend through the other 
days of the week. The Lord's Day serves the re- 
ligious nature of Christians and blesses all mankind. 
7. The Period of Growth in Christian Life. This 
is the period during which sanctification is yet par- 
tial and progressive. It is while one is not yet free 
from sin, but becoming so through the power of 
divine grace. It is the period beginning with re- 
generation and ended by death and entrance into 
paradise. It covers the time given to the process 
of making a regenerate person holy. This view is 



Service and Ordinances i J i 

confirmed by i John i : 8-10, in which the apostle 
refers to the present state of believers, and asso- 
ciates himself with those who should seek forgive- 
ness. (See 1 John 2 : 1 ; 5 : 16 ; Gal. 2 : 11.) 
The passages in 1 John 3 : 5 and 5 : 18 agree with 
Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4 : 22, 24; Col. 3 : gf. } and 
teach that so far as the new principle of life is con- 
cerned the regenerate man does not sin, but "the 
new man" and "the old man " both exist in the 
Christian, while the new disposition by the grace 
of God is becoming stronger than the old and sure 
to overcome in the end. Other passages may be 
studied, as James 3:2; 2:1; Rom. 8 : 10, 13 ; 
Gal. 5:17; Phil. 3:12; Mark 10 : 18 ; Matt. 6 : 
12; 1 Kings 8 : 46 ; Prov. 20 : 9 ; Eccl. 7 : 20. 
There is no sufficient evidence of two classes of 
Christians, one a small class who exercise sanctify- 
ing faith and enjoy "the higher Christian life," 
the other a large class having justifying faith, but 
not the blessing of "perfect trust." There are 
varieties of life and progress ; no two disciples 
stand on exactly the same plane. Christians are 
set free from the power of sin at death. The Bible 
teaches nothing of purgatory after death. It teaches 
that the state of both the righteous and the wicked 
will be fixed from the hour they leave this world 
(Luke 16 : 22 f. ; 23 : 43 ; Phil. 1 : 23 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 8). 
8. The Certainty of Growth. It is taught by some 
persons (1) that sanctification may be arrested 
and saints at last perish ; that at least some will 
"fall from grace " and need a second regeneration. 



i p Christian Doctrine 

It is said analogy proves this. Angels fell, Adam 
and Eve fell, men imperfectly sanctified may fall. 
The reply to this is that the relation of true Chris- 
tians to Christ is vital and peculiar, bearing no 
analogy to those named. It is not legitimate to 
infer the lapse of believers in Christ from that of 
other beings standing in other relations to God. It 
is taught also (2) that Christians are exhorted to 
persevere, implying a danger of the opposite. (See 
Rev. 2 : 10, 25 ; Heb. 4: 1-3, 11.) But the answer 
is : Exhortation to persevere does not prove that 
those exhorted will not persevere. Without it they 
might fail. This ma)' be the moral means of per- 
severance. It is urged that Christians are warned 
against apostasy, and therefore are in danger of 
it (Heb. 6 : 4, 6 ; 10 : 26-32 ; 2 Peter 2 : 20-22 ; 
3 : 7). But warning is the means of preventing 
apostasy (Acts 27 : 22-25, 31). Cases of apos- 
tasy are hypothetically introduced. (See 1 Cor. 
8:11; John 15 : 1-6 ; Luke 8:11 f.) But these 
are warnings recognizing the moral freedom of 
Christians, the natural possibility of turning from 
Christ. Their aim is to prevent such a lapse ; none 
of them shows that any who are truly united to 
Christ will be lost. (3) It is further claimed that 
instances of final apostasy are given in the Bible, 
as those of Saul, Judas, Hymenals, and Alexan- 
der. But the history of Saul gives no evidence 
that he was ever a devout and obedient child of 
God. (See 1 Sam. 10 : 9-13 ; 13 : 13, 14 ; 15 : 
10 f. ; 16 : 13, 14.) The Spirit seems never to have 



Service and Ordinances i ^3 

renewed him. The same is true of Judas and of 
the others. (See John 6 : 64, 70 ; 12 : 6 ; 13 : 18, 
19; 17 : 12; 18 : 9; 1 Tim. 1 : 20.) Still the 
Scriptures teach that none will be sanctified or 
saved without faith in Christ. If Christians are 
kept it is by keeping alive their faith. (See 2 
Thess. 2 : 13, 14 ; 1 Peter 1 : 3-5.) The end is 
salvation. True faith preserves because it is true, 
because the Saviour, by his Spirit and his truth, 
keeps it alive in the renewed heart. The exhorta- 
tion is "abide in Christ." There is no salvation 
for those who do not abide in Christ. The cer- 
tainty of perseverance on the part of those who 
abide in Christ is assured. 



PART VI 

ESCHATOLOGY; OR, THE DOCTRINE OF 
FINAL ISSUES 

THIS relates to the future state following death 
and involves the destiny of man. 

i. Death. By this word is here meant 
what is called physical death, a separation of the 
body from the soul. Scripture teaches that this 
does not terminate conscious existence (Eccl. 12 : 
7 ; Matt. 10 : 28 ; Luke 23 : 46 ; 23 : 43 ; Acts 7 : 
59). (1) Figurative references to death in the 
New Testament show that death was believed to 
be a dissolution of the body, not a termination of 
conscious existence. The body is represented as a 
tent (John 1 : 14 ; 2 : 19-21 ; 2 Peter 1 : 14 ; 2 Cor. 
5 : 1, 2). Thus the body is distinguishable from 
the conscious self which inhabits it. Science con- 
firms this view. " The materialistic assumption 
that the life of the soul ends with the life of the 
body is, perhaps, the most colossal instance of 
baseless assumption known to the history of phi- 
losophy." l (2) As to the relation of physical death 
to the moral condition of the soul, it has been 
denied that any effect is thus produced, or that the 
soul's growth can be hastened or retarded by death. 

1 John Fiske, " The Destiny of Man," p. no, 
154 



The Doctrine of Final Issues 1 55 

But doubtless the " old man" will be gone from 
the saved soul, fleshly desires will cease, tempta- 
tions will not assail, sickness and pain will not be 
felt. Closer relations with Christ will be realized 
(Phil. 1 : 21-24). For the Christian physical death 
is a blessing. " One moment in the presence of 
Christ will do more to ripen character than years 
of self-discipline on earth." 

2. In Paradise. It is a common saying that 
" where death leaves us the judgment will find us." 
But this must relate only to the moral condition of 
unbelievers. There will be for Christians spiritual 
progress between death and the final judgment. 
For : (1) They will be with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; 
Phil. 1 : 21-24; Luke 23 : 43). (2) They will be 
with Abraham, father of the faithful, and with the 
saints, sharing the blessing they enjoy (Luke 16 : 
22 f. ; Matt. 8 : 11). This wili be the best of 
human society and fellowship (Heb. 12 : 23). In 
companionship of holy beings the souls of believers 
will never cease to grow in grace. (3) They will 
be in paradise or in heaven. Matt. 8 : 11 ; Luke 
16 : 22 f. ; 23 : 43, teach that Abraham was in 
paradise while in the kingdom of heaven. Paradise 
suggests the delightful ness of the Christian's state 
after death, while the kingdom of heaven indicates 
his moral and religious condition, his fellowship 
with the holy in serving and enjoying God. Many 
questions arise to which Scripture gives no direct 
answer. Spiritual life, love, knowledge, compan- 
ionship prevail and preserve the harmony in diver- 



i^6 Christian Doctrine 

sity which makes heaven symphonious in praise ? 
its activities tireless, services joyful ; its felicities 
of fellowship are faintly typified at best by the best 
fellowships of this world. " In heaven no sin is 
found, and there is no sorrow there." 

3. In the Resurrection. Relation of the resurrec- 
tion to the Christian life. Man was created an 
organic being ; his nature at the beginning was 
typical of what it will be in the end ; the germinal 
humanity was indicative of humanity when its ideal 
is reached. The promise was repeated and empha- 
sized by the resurrection of the God-man, Jesus 
Christ, and his ascension into heaven. This is the 
teaching of the New Testament and the belief of 
the apostles. First, then, they testified that Jesus 
foretold his own resurrection (John 2 : 19, 21 ; 10 : 
14, 17 ; 12 : 24 ; Matt. 16 : 21 ; 17 : 23 ; Mark 8 : 
31; Luke 9 : 22). These statements were clear, 
and at length recalled by apostles as fulfilled be- 
fore their eyes. (2) They testified that he ap- 
peared to them many times after his resurrection 
(1 Thess. 4 : 14; 5 : 10; 1 Cor. 15 : 3-8; Rom. 1 : 
4 ; 4 : 25 ; 5 : 10 ; Acts 2 : 24 f . ; 3 : 1 5 f . ; 4 : 10 ; 
5 : 20, 30 ; 10 : 40). Christ's predictions of his res- 
urrection on the third day are a distinct record and 
the unqualified assertion of Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
Peter, John, and Paul. Men like Thomas and 
James could not be made to believe what was not 
the fact in such a case. 1 (3) They predict the res- 

1 See Macpherson, " The Resurrection of Jesus Christ " ; Milligan, " The 
Resurrection of Our Lord"; Morrison, "Proofs of Christ's Resurrection 
from a Lawyer's Standpoint." 



The Doctrine of Final Issues 1^7 

urrection of all believers : a. By recording Christ's 
word (Luke 14 : 14 ; 20 : 34 f. ; John 5 : 28, 29 ; 
6:54; 11:24!*.). Jesus Christ refers to the 
resurrection of the righteous as an event certain to 
take place in the future, b. By testifying their 
own belief (1 Cor. 6 : 14 ; 15 : 3-18 ; 2 Cor. 4 : 14 ; 
Phil. 3:11; 1 Thess. 4 : 14, 15 ; Acts 24 : 15). 
Their words prove that they held such a belief. 
They predict a resurrection of men with real, not 
ethereal bodies (1 Cor. 15 : 35-38). (4) They rep- 
resent the bodies of raised saints as certain to be 
very different from those they have in their earthly 
life (1 Cor. 6 : 13 ; 15:42-54; Phil. 3 : 21). Their 
present bodies are earthly, corruptible, weak ; their 
resurrection bodies are celestial, incorruptible, glo- 
rious. (5) They teach that the raised bodies of 
believers in Christ will be adapted to spirit life, as 
their present bodies are adapted to animal life (1 
Cor. 15 : 44). A natural or psychical body is an 
organ for the psyche, or animal life ; a spiritual or 
pneumatical body is an organ for the rational life, 
or pneuma. 1 (6) They declare that the raised 
bodies of saints will be in some respects similar to 
their present bodies in substance, form, features, 
and expression, as Christ is supposed to have the 
same body that was crucified, yet so changed in 
the relation to the whole organism and the ruling 
spirit as to be a spiritual body. His natural body 
became "the body of his glory " perhaps before he 
left the tomb. From the moment he left the tomb 

1 See Augustine, " De Civitate Dei," XIII., 20, 22. 



i*8 



Christian Doctrine 



his bearing was that of one belonging to a higher 
sphere of life. We believe, therefore, that the 
Scriptures mean by a spiritual body a real body, 
perfectly adapted to the spirit. The resurrection 
will put Christians into sensible relations with the 
material universe, make them the denizens of two 
worlds, as Christ is, better able than now to per- 
ceive the subtle relations between the two and the 
wisdom revealed in both. Thus the ideal life of 
man will be perfected according to the divine ideal 
and started on its endless career of progress in 
knowledge, goodness, joy, and service. A question 
of great human interest now follows : When will 
believers in Christ be raised from the dead ? The 
answer is predictive and is found only in the word 
of God. Its language is : (7) Believers will be 
raised from the dead at the last day, or the end of 
the present age. In opposition, it is claimed that : 
a. The resurrection of believers takes place at their 
death. In putting off the natural body they put on 
the spiritual body. Reference is made to Luke 
20: 34-38; John 11 : 25, 26; 1 Cor. 15 : 36-38, 
42-44. But these passages do not prove the posi- 
tion assumed and afford no ground for belief in the 
theory. 1 b. The resurrection of believers in Christ 
will take place just before the millennium, foretold 
in Rev. 20 : 4-6. This view has been held by 
many in the past history of Christianity, but it has 
never been the prevalent belief. The chief pas- 
sage quoted for it is highly figurative and, as here 

1 Doctor Hovey, " Systematic Theology," p. 400 f. 



The Doctrine of Final Issues 159 

used, appears to contradict the plain and clear 
statement of the Scripture on this subject. At 
most the paragraph seems to characterize in figura- 
tive language a long period in which faithful men 
will have controlling influence. Through them 
Christ will reign ; society will yield to Christian 
influence. Like the coming again of Elijah in the 
person of John the Baptist, faithful men may seem 
to represent the holy martyrs and confessors of 
former times. This is called the " first resurrec- 
tion/' which is in contrast with the hosts of Gog 
and Magog assumed to be "the second resurrec- 
tion." Another interpretation may refer to the 
first resurrection as spiritual, realized in the new 
birth, while the period of the Holy Spirit's dispen- 
sation, especially in its closing triumphs, may be 
contained in the reference to the coming and reign 
of Christ on the earth. Whatever may belong to 
human opinion upon this subject, there appears no 
ground for belief that Christ will come again to call 
men to believe through his personal word, or that 
saints will ever return to take part in giving the 
gospel to mankind. This work is to be done by 
faith, not by sight. The omniscient Spirit is ap- 
pointed to win souls to Christ. In support of the 
proposition that believers in Christ will be raised 
from the dead at the last day, see 1 Thess. 4 : 13 f. 
Raised saints are to be caught up to be forever 
with the Lord. There is no mention of a return to 
the earth to be with him there. (See also 2 Thess. 
1 : 6-10.) "In that day" must mean "the last 



160 Christian Doctrine 

day." (See i Cor. 3:13; 4:5; 15 : 51, 52 ; 2 
Cor. 5 : 10 ; Matt. 13 : 40-43, 49, 50 ; 25 : 14-46 ; 
John 5 : 29 ; 6 : 40, 44, 54 ; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2 : 
12-16; Rev. 20 : 11-15.) From these texts it ap- 
pears that the resurrection is the immediate ante- 
cedent of the last judgment and not a thousand 
years of earthly ministry, followed by a short 
period of terror and conflict. What may be the 
actual fact we cannot tell, but the Bible leads us to 
infer that the souls of believers remain after death 
disembodied until the last day, and that the change 
from the natural body to the spiritual body is 
instantaneous at the final word of Christ. 

4. In the Last Day. Relation of the last day to 
Christian Life. The Scriptures predict (1) a last 
judgment, or a judgment at the last day (Matt. 25 : 
31-46; John 5 : 22-29; Acts 17 : 31 ; Rom. 14: 
9, 10; Rev. 20 : n-15). (2) It will be a general 
judgment. All will give account of themselves 
(Matt. 12 : 36, 37 ; 25 : 32 ; Acts 17 : 31 ; Rom. 
14 : 10 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 10 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 6-10 ; Rev. 
20 : 11-15 ; Eccl. 12 : 14 ; Luke 19 : 16 f.). (3) It 
will be a righteous judgment (Acts 17 : 31 ; Rom. 
2:6; 2 Cor. 5 : 10 ; Gal. 6 : 7-10 ; Eph. 6:8; 
Rev. 2 : 23 ; 20 : 12 ; 22 : 12 f.). (4) It will bead- 
ministered by Jesus Christ. Thus God's ways are 
indicated to man, and humanity judges humanity. 

5. The After Life. This can now be known by 
contrasts alone. " It doth not yet appear what we 
shall be, but we shall be like him." This is enough 
to know. The great question in the life to come 



The Doctrine of Final Issues 161 

will be not what we know, but what we are, and 
what we can do. God will have some post of service 
ready for each, and some blessed work for each to 
do. Dr. W. S. McKenzie said, " I am not going to be 
lazy in heaven, I am going to serve my Lord." 

(i) Destiny or issues for unbelievers, a. In death. 
So far as conscious existence is concerned death 
makes no difference between believers and unbe- 
lievers. As to the feelings with which death is met 
little is said in the Bible. (But see Prov. 14 : 32 ; 
1 Cor. 15 : 56, 57 ; Ps, 73 : 4.) b. In hades. Re- 
lation of the middle state to unbelievers. Unbe- 
lievers are miserable after death (Luke 16 : 23, 26 ; 
1 Peter 3 : 19 ; 2 Peter 2:9; Rom. 13 14). They 
endure the loss and pain which are the penal con- 
sequences of sin. Some scholars profess to find in 
Scripture, especially in 1 Peter 3 : 19 ; 4:6, ground 
for hope of restoration to divine favor, and of the 
experience of forgiveness and salvation. But we 
do not accept the opinion that Christ went into 
hades and preached the gospel to the unsaved souls 
there. This was done while they lived in the days 
of Noah, who was the appointed preacher of right- 
eousness to them. According to Matt. 12 : 32, 
Jesus taught that sin against the Holy Spirit has 
never forgiveness, it is an eternal sin, never forgiven 
to all eternity. In the Scriptures we find no indi- 
cations of repentance, issuing in salvation, in the 
state after death. In hades the associates of unbe- 
lievers would seem to render no aid to repentance 
were it offered there. This life is more favorable 

L 



1 62 Christian Doctrine 

to a radical change of character than the next life 
may be presumed to be. 

b. In the resurrection. Relation of the resurrec- 
tion to unbelievers. That they will be raised is 
directly affirmed in John 5 : 29 ; Acts 24 : 15 ; Rev. 
20 : 13, 14. There is no biblical reference to the 
kind of bodies the ungodly will have. A natural 
conjecture is that they will not be subject to decay ; 
that as men sin in the body, so they will feel the 
consequences of sin in the body. In the judgment 
they will come in the body to their place on the left 
hand of him whose grace they refused. 

c. In the last day. Relation of the last day to 
unbelievers. On that day two classes will be be- 
fore the Judge. There are many of each class, 
more of the righteous, but many of the wicked. 
Those making false claims to blessing will be com- 
manded to depart as wrong-doers (Matt. 7 : 23, 24). 
Those indifferent to Christ in the persons of the 
needy cannot stand approved at the last day (Matt. 
25 : 44 f.). The light of that day will show every 
moral being what he is and has done in the sight of 
the perfect Judge. There may be degrees of pen- 
alty according to the nature of the sins done (Luke 
12 : 47, 48 ; Matt. 1 1 : 21-24 ; Heb. 10 : 29 ; Rom. 
2 : 12). But who can say guilt may not increase, 
and penalty not diminish, as sin shall be added to 
sin ? In view of the certainty of judgment, and of 
the possibilities of sin, it becomes us not to cease 
to warn men in this life to flee from the ways of 
evil, and to urge all men to believe in the Lord 



The Doctrine of Final Issues 163 

Jesus Christ, that they may know him and the 
power of his resurrection, and may find answer to 
the prayer : 

On that day, all full of weeping, 
When shall rise from ashes sleeping, 
Man, account of deeds to render, 
Then, O God, show mercy tender ; 
Jesus Lord, in holy love, 
Grant us rest with thee above. Amen. 

— Tr. from last stanza of " Dies free." 



(Sim^s*! %tx&&$e 



Abbott, Ezra, on the fourth Gos- 
pel, 23. 

Accountability of man : for moral 
life and conduct, 67 ; for every 
voluntary act, 67 ; for obeying 
the impulse to evil, 67; for in- 
crease of evil by sinful action, 
67; for the evil resulting from 
his sin, 67. 

Adam, his federal headship dis- 
cussed, 71. 

Adam and Eve, man's vital union 
with, 58. 

Adoration, defined, 131. 

Agnosticism, denies knowledge of 
God, 15. 

Alexander, named as an example 
of apostasy, 152. 

Alexander, W. L., " Christ and 
Christianity," 25. 

Alford, H., sermon on atonement 
noted, 102, 105. 

Andover theory, defined, 105. 

Angelology, doctrine of angels, 76. 

Angels: definition of, 76, 77; na- 
ture of, 76 ; appeared to men, 76 ; 
power of, 77 ; subject to Christ, 
77 ; knowledge of, 78 ; interested 
in Christ's work, 78 ; not om- 
niscient nor omnipresent, 78 ; 
their character, many sinless, 
78 ; once in a state of probation, 
78 ; many sinful, 79 ; demons are 
fallen, 79; Satan fallen, 79; em- 
ployment of good, 79; "guard- 
ian angels," 80; order and con- 
cert of, 80 ; not to be worshiped, 
80; doctrine of good, 80; evil, 
employment of, 80 ; rule over 



godless men, 81 ; Christ's power 
over, 81 ; may resume former 
modes of action, 82; will not 
rule the saved, 82 ; of the seven 
churches, 139. 

Anthropologists' view of pro-crea- 
tion, 58. 

Anthropology, the doctrine of 
man, 55. 

Antinomiauism, a perversion, 126. 

Annihilation of the wicked : con- 
sidered, 73 ; assumed, 73, 74 ; con- 
trary to Scripture, 74, 75 ; science 
gives no proof of it, 74; other 
terms misapplied to it, 74. 

Anselm, his "Cur Deus Homo," 102. 

Apollinaris: his view of Christ's 
humanity, 91 ; significance of 
this view of, 94. 

Apostles : promises addressed to 
them, 29; gifts of, superior to 
other teachers, 31; especially 
qualified to declare truths con- 
cerning Christ, 31 ; safeguards, 
31 ; teaching of, like their Mas- 
ter's, 31 ; objections to their claim 
considered, 31 ; indorsed Old Tes- 
tament as from God, 32 ; contin- 
ued Christ's prophetic work, 112. 

Arminian view of hereditary sin, 
69. 

Atonement : definition of, 96; 
Christ's act of, 96; theories of, 
101 ; moral influence theory of, 
102 ; substitutional theory of, 
102 ; authors on, 101, 102 ; Augus- 
tinian view of, 102; universal 
theory of, 103 ; objections to, ex- 
amined, 109 ; value of, 109. 

I6 5 



1 66 



General Index 



Augsburg Confession, cited, 123. 

Augustine, Aurelius : advice of, 
on the doctrine of the Trinity, 
118; his "De Civitate Dei," 157; 
his view of sin, 70. 

Barrows, E. P.. quotations from, 
in relation to inspiration, 43. 

Basilides, quotes from the fourth 
Gospel, 23. 

Belief as to the atonement, stated, 
106-109. 

Baptism : in the apostolic age, 123 ; 
preceded by repentance and 
faith, 123 ; of the Holy Spirit, 
123 ; described by Peter, 123 ; 
Paul's view of administering, 
124 ; the symbol of regeneration, 
124 ; rite of, in apostolic age, 125 ; 
not prerequisite to salvation ex- 
cept as obedience is such, 125; 
exceptions to, noted, 125 ; a 
Christian ordinance, 141 ; the ex- 
ternal rite defined, 141 ; lexi- 
cographers on the words of, 141 ; 
circumstances applied to it, 141 ; 
the customary rite of, in the apos- 
tolic age, 141; general practice 
of early churches regarding, 141 ; 
practice of Greek churches as to, 
141; authors on, named, 141; sig- 
nificance of the rite of, 142 ; force 
of Greek prepositions applied to, 
142 ; symbolizes regeneration, 
142; commemorates death and 
resurrection of Christ, 142; 
" water of purification " not con- 
nected with the rite of , 142 ; min- 
isters may administer, 142 ; val- 
idity of, depends on union with 
Christ, 142; subjects of the rite of, 
143 ; believers in Christ entitled 
to, 143; its relation to John's, 143; 
two views of, examined, 143 ; be- 
gan with that of John, 145. 

Baptismal regeneration, consid- 
ered, 124 f., 143. 

Bible: the text book of Christian 



doctrine, 13 ; transcendent ele- 
ment in, 42; appeals to men as 
religious beings, 42 ; uses variety 
of style, 42 ; used no unsound 
arguments, 42 ; teaches that God 
is a perfect being, 44 ; teaches 
nothing of purgatory after death, 
151 ; teaches that the state of the 
righteous and the wicked is fixed 
at death, 151 ; source of theistic 
revelation, 17 ; objections to, 
considered, 18 ; a trustworthy 
revelation of God and his will, 
29-44 ; obscure language of, 42. 

Bissell, E. C, on the books of the 
New Testament, 22. 

Body : distinction between psy- 
chical and pneumatical, 157; a 
spiritual, real, 158. 

Bodies : of saints, resemble that of 
Christ, 157; of unbelievers, no 
biblical reference to, 162. 

Bowne, Prof. B. P. : quoted, 62 ; 
" Metaphysics and Ethics " of, 
72. 

Broadus, Dr. J. A., on Matthew 
24 : 16, 27. 

Briggs, Dr. C. A., defines inspira- 
tion, 40. 

Bruce, Dr. A. B. : on Christ's atone- 
ment, 109 ; apologetics of, 114. 

Bushnell, Dr. H. : view of, on the 
atonement, 101, 102; view of, on 
the character of Christ, 25. 

Calvinistic theory of depravity, 
71. 

Carson, on inspiration, 36. 

Causation : law of, 61 ; sufficient 
reason for, 63. 

Cave, A., on inspiration, 38. 

Channing, Dr. W. E., his view of 
the atonement, 102. 

Charnock, S. : on God's foreknowl- 
edge, 44 ; quoted, 122. 

Christ : his power over evil angels, 
81; his sacrifice equivalent to the 
penalty of sin, 96. 



General Index 



167 



Christianity: rise of, 20; spread 
over the Roman empire, 20 ; evi- 
dence of its supernatural origin, 
22. 

Christian church : denned, 136 ; 
function of its members, 137; 
duty of lay members of, 138 ; 
duty of its deacons, 138 ; duty of 
pastors to, 138 f. ; relation of its 
members, 138 ; responsibilities 
of, 138; discipline of, 138; offi- 
cers of, 139 ; action of one church 
in, respected by another, 137. 

Christian churches : their relation 
to sanctification, 135 ; their con- 
stitution, government, work, 135; 
polity of, determined by apostles, 
135 ; charged to maintain Chris- 
tian doctrine and discipline, 135 ; 
may combine for mission and 
benevolent work, 138. 

Christian religion, positive insti- 
tutions of. 135. 

Christian service, defined, 134. 

Christians: not two classes of, 151; 
"perfect trust" and "justify- 
ing faith " of, 151. 

Christology, the doctrine of Jesus 
Christ, 83. 

Chrysostom, on Ephesians 1 : 10, 83. 

Confession of sin, denned, 121. 

Conscience, God's minister, 73. 

Consciousness, phenomena of, 62. 

Church life: effect of, 148; culti- 
vates obedience, 148 ; maintains 
social worship, 148 ; exercises 
brotherly love, 148 ; secures di- 
vine blessing, 148. 

Creation : an act of God's love, 46 ; 
for God's glory and the good of 
man, 49 ; through the Word or 
Son of God, 50 ; God's first act in 
effecting his purpose, 50; con- 
tradicts " Eternity of Matter," 
50; ascribed to God, 50; a fact 
to be believed, 50 ; implies that 
God is not the sum total of be- 
ing, 50 ; designates the beginning 



of the Christian life, 120 ; rejects 
pantheism, 51 ; extent of, 51 ; of 
angels before that of man, 51. 

Co-creation theory examined, 58. 

Cyril, his view of Christ's human- 
ity, 91. 

Davidson, S., on the genuineness 
of the New Testament, 22. 

Davis, Dr. N. K., "Psychology" 
of, 63. 

Death : defined, 154 ; does not 
terminate conscious existence, 
154; a dissolution of the body, 
]54 ; scriptural view of, 154; re- 
ferred to by John Fiske, 154 ; re- 
lation of, to the moral condition 
of the soul, 154. 

Depravity : all mankind morally 
depraved, 66 ; state of the soul 
leading to sin, 66. 

Destiny, of unbelievers, 162. 

De Celano's, Thomas, "Dies Irse," 
English version of last stanza, 
163. 

De Wette, W. M. L., referred to, 56. 

Disciples : of Christ, convinced of 
his claim, 26 ; preach his doc- 
trine of truth, 26; declare him 
the source of truth, 26. 

Doctrine, Christian : definitions 
and divisions of, 13 ; Bible, text- 
book of, 13. 

Dorner, I. A. : on God's purpose as 
to a sinful race, 50; on Cyril's 
view of Christ, 122. 

Ecclesiology, the doctrine con- 
cerning Christian churches, 135. 

Edwards, Dr. J. : on God's im- 
manence, 56; his theory of he- 
reditary sin, 70. 

Effectual calling, defined, 114. 

Election, God's purpose in, 114 f. 

Ellicott, C. J. : on inspiration, 36 ; 
on elect angels, 78. 

Eschatology : the doctrine of final 
issues, 154 ; relates to the future 



1 68 



General Index 



state after death, 154 ; involves 
human destiny, 154. 

Evangelists : writers of the Gos- 
pels, so called, 24 ; not false wit- 
nesses, 24; wrote aided by the 
Holy Spirit, 30 ; use of the term 
in the church, 139 ; office and 
work of, 139. 

Evidence : value of, 15 ; kinds of, 
15 ; j udgment follows the strong- 
est, 15. 

Evolution : as a principle, 43 ; as a 
law of progress, 43. 

Eusebius, cited, 20, 27. 

Expiation, what it expresses, 96. 

Faculties concerned in moral ac- 
tion, 61. 

Fairbairn's, Dr. P., " Religion in 
History and Modern Life," 76. 

Faith: denned, 122; source or 
means of j ustification, 127. 

Fisher, Dr. G. P. : authority for ac- 
cepting the fourth Gospel, 23; 
his "History of Christian Doc- 
trine," 70. 

Fiske, John, " Destiny of Man," 
154. 

Forgiveness, an act of God, 96. 

Freedom, taught by consciousness, 
62. 

Fullness, of time, considered, 83. 

Gaussen, on inspiration, 36. 

Gess, W. T., theory of, 91. 

Giesler, J. C. L., cited, 20. 

God : ground for belief in, 17 ; re- 
vealed in Scripture, 17 ; his mind 
gradually revealed to men, 35 ; 
study of, guided by the Holy 
Scriptures, 44; belief in, as- 
serted, 27 ; a living, morally per- 
fect being, 44 ; omniscient, 44 ; 
knowledge of, intuitive, inde- 
pendent, complete, timeless, 44 ; 
justice of, 45 ; action of his 
righteousness and benevolence, 
45 ; words denoting his displeas- 



ure at sin, 45 ; has a perfect sen- 
sibility, 45 ; grace of, 45 ; mercy 
and patience of, 45 ; his wisdom 
defined, 45 ; his personality, evi- 
dence of, 45 ; omnipotence of, 
45 ; tri-personality of, 45 f ; unity 
of, modifies the meaning of the 
word personal, 46; can love 
another ego, 46 ; his love re- 
quires unity of essence and dis- 
tinctions of persons, 47 ; a spirit, 
47 ; his natural attributes or 
modes of existence, 47 ; his om- 
nipresence, 47 ; his existence un- 
derived and absolute, 47 ; his life 
in himself, 47 ; his action deter- 
mined by his knowledge and 
will, 47 ; his happiness flows 
from his action, 47; is immuta- 
ble, 47 ; idea of his nature real- 
ized, 47 ; eternal, 48 ; omnipres- 
ent, 48 ; fills immensity, 48 ; his 
revelation of himself progres- 
sive, 48; doctrine of, presented 
in the Old Testament, 48 ; his 
purpose or plan, 48 ; his purpose 
springs from his good pleasure, 
49; includes man's freedom in 
accountability, 49 ; treats man 
as free, 49 ; had two ends in view 
in creation and moral govern- 
ment, 49 ; his glory thus mani- 
fested, 49 ; his purpose may in- 
clude suffering, 50 ; does not 
authorize sin, 50; his purpose, 
moral effect of the doctrine, 50 
willed, and worlds were, 51 
does not uphold evil-doing, 52 
gives sinners time to repent, 52 
his power overrules wickedness, 
53 ; may employ angels, 54 ; uses 
elements of nature, 54 ; reveals 
in providence his moral govern- 
ment, 54; the First Cause, 60; 
supreme reason, 60; alone self- 
existent, 60 ; his law man's duty, 
60; contemplates holy beings 
with complacency, 60; his ap- 



General Index 



169 



pearanee to innocent men had 
no humiliation nor suffering, 
96 ; his ethical nature, 99 ; au- 
thor and upholder of divine law, 
99 ; his estimate of voluntary 
righteousness, 97 ; his estimate of 
social life, 97 ; his protest against 
moral evil, 97 ; moved by love 
the same as Christ, 98 ; question 
of his moral right to require a sin- 
less being to suffer, 98 ; his right- 
eousness and grace the reason for 
Christ's self-sacrifice, 98 ; his pur- 
pose in Christ's self-sacrifice, 99. 

God the Father: his relation to 
salvation, 114 ; his providence 
seen in salvation, 111 f ; his 
relation to sanctification, 116; 
justifies believers on account of 
Christ's work, 327 ; seen in his 
providence, 128. 

Godhead : personal distinctions in, 
46 ; unity of, 46 ; in each person 
of the Trinity, 46. 

Goodspeed, Doctor, article by, 
noted, 84. 

Gospels : trustworthiness of, con- 
sidered, 20; contained in all 
early versions of the New Testa- 
ment, 23 ; earliest version of, 
23 ; diverse yet harmonious, 24 ; 
clearly state facts, 24 ; prove 
Jesus Christ infallible, 24 ; value 
of their testimony, 20 ; trustwor- 
thiness of the fourth Gospel, 23 ; 
relation to the beginning of the 
Christian life, 113. 

Greek language, medium for 
spread of Christian religion, 83. 

Green, Dr. W. H., on the Canon, 22. 

Growth of the Christian life : de- 
fined, 129 ; relation of the Father 
to, 125 ; Peter exhorts to it, 125 ; 
Paul prays for it, 125. 

Grotius, Hugo, theory of, 103. 

Hackett, Dr. H. B., defines evan- 
gelists, 139. 



Hagenbach, Dr. K. R.: his "History 
of Doctrine," 70; theories dis- 
cussed by, 70 ; on Christology, 90. 

Haldane, opinion of, noted, 36. 

Hamilton, Sir William, cited, 62. 

Harris, Samuel, d. d., ll. d., on 
God's providential government 
universal. See ' ' God Creator and 
Lord of All," 53. 

Hebrews, Epistle to : approved by 
Paul, 32 ; quoted from Old Tes- 
tament, 33. 

Hodge, Dr. C. : His " Systematic 
Theology," 58; his "Way of 
Life," 94 ; on the atonement, 104. 

Holiness, defined, 60. 

Holy Scriptures : divine authority 
of, 35; religious object of, 35; 
standard of truth and duty, 36. 

Holy Spirit : the advocate, teacher, 
guide, 30 ; his work widely ex- 
tended, 31 ; his relation to salva- 
tion, 116 ; his deity, 116 ; his per- 
sonality, 116; his independent 
action, 116; called the Spirit of 
God, 117 ; his special work, 117 ; 
his identity with the Spirit of 
God, 117 ; interprets the appella- 
tive Spirit of God, 118 ; his func- 
tions ascribed to the Spirit of 
God, 118 ; his work, 118 f ; relation 
of to regeneration, 118 ; author of 
the new birth, 119 ; does not im- 
part "divine essence" to the 
soul, 119; brings souls into 
moral likeness to God, 119 ; his 
work subconscious in regenera- 
tion, 120; effects of his work 
realized, 120; tendency of his 
work, 120 ; his relation to truth, 
121 ; his relation to the sinner, 
121 ; his work joined with preach- 
ing the gospel, 121 ; his relation 
to sanctification, 129 ; author of 
sanctification, 129; source of 
spiritual knowledge, 129 ; source 
of Christian virtues, 129 ; his in- 
dwelling, 130 ; his action as noted 



170 



General Index 



in the Old Testament, 130 ; in the 
New Testament, 130; appointed 
to win souls to Christ, 130. 

Hovey, A., d. d., ll. d. : his theory 
of the atonement, 103 ; prefatory 
note of, on the fourth Gospel, 
23; his "Christian Theology," 
cited, 110, 123, 128, 143, 148 ; on 
character of Christ, 25 ; on Chris- 
tology, 92 ; the miracles of Christ, 
33; his "Study in Ethics and 
Religion," 33, 34, 42. 

Hymenseus, referred to, 152. 

"IAaoTids, iXaarrjptov, use of, 96. 

Immanent preference : denned, 
62 ; its effect as to the volitions, 
63. 

Immortality : John Fiske on, 59, 
154 ; Scripture doctrine of, 154 ; 
"conditional," considered, 73; 
not a synonym for " eternal life," 
73. 

Imputation: of Adam's sin, 70; 
authors on, 70 ; of Christ's work, 
mediate, 70 ; theories of, 69-71. 

Incarnation : effect on Christ's na- 
ture, 91, 94 ; Scripture doctrine 
of, 92 f ; reason for, 95 ; apart 
from redemption perhaps not 
wise nor necessary, 95. 

Infants, how saved, 11 C. 

Inspiration : significance of, 29 ; 
affects the whole spiritual heing, 
29; empowers the inner man, 
29 ; promise of, 29 ; its effect on 
writers and teachers, 36 ; of the 
word of God, considered, 36; 
various theories of, 36 f ; verbal 
theory of, 31 ; plenary-dynam- 
ical theory of, 36, 37 ; religious 
and gracious theory of, 38 ; de- 
fined by Doctor Briggs, 40; 
affirms inerrancy of the original 
text, 41. 

Inspired men : organs of God, 40 ; 
used the languages they knew, 
40; recorded words of divine 



dictation, 40; spake from God, 
40; were moved by the Holy 
Spirit, 40; used historical and 
other material as guided by the 
Holy Spirit, 40. 

Intercession : Christ qualified to 
make, 101; ground for, 101. 

Interpretation, biblical, 14. 

Issues for unbelievers : referred to, 
161 ; in death, 161 ; in hades, 
161 ; scriptural teaching of, 161 ; 
in the resurrection, 161 ; they will 
come in the body to their place, 
162. 

Irenseus, his reasons for four Gos- 
pels, 23. 

James, author of Epistle, brother 
of Jesus, 32. 

Jehovah, angel of, identified with 
Christ, 84. 

Jesus Christ: indorsed the Old 
Testament as from God, 32 ; his 
nature, divine, human, uniper- 
sonal, 84 ; affected by the incar- 
nation, 84; was truly God, as 
proven in Old and New Testa- 
ment, 84 f. ; names Elohim and 
Jehovah applied to him, 84 ; 
prophecies applied to him, 85; 
Messianic psalms refer to him, 
85 f . ; evidence of his deity in his 
own language, 86 ; his humanity, 
proof from the Old Testament, 
89 ; he is called man and Son of 
man, 89 ; his lower nature called 
"flesh," 90; his official Avork 
implied his humanity, 90; uni- 
personal, 90 ; two natures in one 
person, God-man, 90 ; an infalli- 
ble teacher, 24 ; his claims as a 
teacher, 24 ; claimed to know 
heavenly things, 24 ; to be one 
with the Father, 24 ; declared 
that his teachingwas his Father's 
teaching and free from error, 
and that he spake with divine 
authority, 24 ; exceptions to his 



General Index 



171 



claim examined, 25 ; declared 
salvation dependent upon his 
words, 25 ; never confessed error 
nor doubt ; was meek and lowly ; 
ready to serve men and to do the 
Father's will ; an example of 
moral perfection ; not self-seek- 
ing in his ministry, 25 ; his pre- 
dictions fulfilled, 26; leader and 
perfecter of the Christian faith, 
29; his word and works to be 
believed as true, 29 ; promised 
inspiration by the Holy Spirit to 
his disciples, 29 ; his sympathy 
asserted, 99 ; his death the ex- 
pression of God's grace and cen- 
tral to Christianity, 100 ; through 
his death delivers from sin's 
penalty, 100 ; moral influence of 
his death, 100 ; his sacrifice 
qualifies him to make interces- 
sion, 100 f . ; the Revealer, 112 ; 
appeared after sin, 112 ; in his 
incarnation, 112 ; and the 
Father's will, 112 ; his prophetic 
work continual, 112; not to re- 
turn to call men to repentance, 
122 ; proof of the moral power of 
his death, 112 ; his kingly work, 
114 ; his doctrine of prayer, 100. 

Jewish tendency : overcome at the 
time of Christ's birth, 83 ; long- 
ing for the Messiah, 83. 

John, speaks of the Holy Spirit as 
an unction, 129. 

John Mark : writer of the second 
Gospel, 32 ; associate of Barna- 
bas, Paul, and Peter, 32; gives 
Peter's account of Christ's min- 
istry, 32. 

Josephus, Flavius, cited, 20; on 
the books of the Old Testament, 
33. 

Johnson's, Dr. E. H., " Outlines of 
Systematic Theology," 53. 

Johnson's, Dr. F., " Quotations of 
the New Testament from the 
Old," 43. 



Judgment : of unbelievers, 162 ; 
i reflection on the certainty of, 
162; duty of Christians in view 
of, 163 ; prayer evoked by the 
certainty of, 163 ; at the last day, 
162 ; righteous, 162. 

Justice : retributive, 72 ; adminis- 
tered by Jesus Christ, 123; in 
this administration of, human- 
ity will judge humanity, 123. 

Justification : defined, 126 ; a ju- 
dicial act, 126 ; the believer's 
title to it in Christ, 127 ; use of in 
the New Testament, 126 ; separa- 
ble in thought from pardon, 126 ; 
completed at once, 127 ; does not 
free from the law as a rule of 
duty, 126 ; absolves from penalty, 
126; treats as innocent, 127; is con- 
ditioned on faith, 127 ; is not re- 
generation nor sanctification, 127. 

Justin Martyr: "First Apology" 
of, 138 ; refers to " Memorabilia " 
of apostles, 23. 

Jude, author of Epistle, brother of 
Jesus, 32. 

Juvenal, cited, 20. 

KapSia, irvevfia, yf/vicrj used inter- 
changeably, 57. 

King, mediatorial, Christ now act- 
ing as, 113. 

Kingly work of Christ : explained, 
113 : subduing the world, 113 ; 
imparting spiritual life to be- 
lievers, 113 ; giving of the Holy 
Spirit, 113 ; as the final judge, 113. 

Last day : relation of. to the Chris- 
tian life, 160 ; general judgment 
at, 160 ; relation of, to unbeliev- 
ers, 125 ; relation of, to believers, 
125; two classes at, before the 
judge, 162 ; light of, 162 ; degrees 
of penalty may appear at, 162. 

Lotze, H., his " Philosophy of Re- 
ligion," 52 ; his " Microcosmus, " 
56 ; on immortality, 59. 



172 



General Index 



Lee, on inspiration, 38. 

Leo, his theory on Christ's two 
natures, 92. 

Lightfoot, cited, 142. 

Liturgy of Church of England, 
123. 

Logos : question as to his incarna- 
tion, if men had not sinned, 95 ; 
source of life for the world, 105. 

Lord's Day : relation of, to sancti- 
fication, 148 ; duty in reference 
to, 148 ; distinction between, and 
the Jewish Sabbath, 149 ; mean- 
ing of the fourth commandment 
as to, 149 ; reason for change to, 
149; takes precedence of every 
other day among Christians, 149 ; 
commemorates the finished work 
of atonement, 149 ; of greatest 
spiritual influence to men, 149 ; 
manner of keeping, 150 ; as a civil 
institution, see Dr. Hovey's 
"Christian Ethics," 150; blesses 
mankind, 150. 

Love, defined, 122. 

Luke, writer of the third Gospel, 
32. 

Macdonald, George, on the divine 
purpose, 50. 

McLaren, Dr. A., cited, 121. 

Macpherson, J., his "The Resur- 
rection of Jesus Christ," 156. 

Man : his nature a means of 
knowledge of God, 107 ; his 
moral constitution, 61 ; unre- 
newed, guilty and condemned, 
69 : how accountable for Adam's 
sin, 69 ; exposed to endless pun- 
ishment, 72; his nature at the 
beginning type of what it will 
be in the end, 157. 

Mankind : bipartite, racial, social, 
moral, 55 ; sinful, lost, recover- 
able, 55 ; bipartite nature of, de- 
fined, 55 ; one race, 57 ; science 
teaches unity of, 58; homoge- 
neous and social, 58 ; intended 



for companionship, 59; social 
life important to the welfare of, 
59 ; moral, subject to the law of 
God, 59. 

Maurice, F. D., on atonement, 102, 
105. 

McKenzie, Dr. W. S., as to occupa- 
tion in heaven, 161. 

Mediatorial king : Scripture teach- 
ing on, 113, 114 ; defined, 113. 

Milligan's, W., "The Resurrection 
of Our Lord," 156. 

Mind, its normal action trust- 
worthy, 14. 

Ministry, aim of Christ's divine, 110. 

Miracles : ascribed to divine agen- 
cy, 27; their names in the New 
Testament, 27; objections against, 
27; witnesses of sufficient num- 
ber, 27 ; phenomena of, sensible, 
28 ; not denied by those who saw 
them, 28 ; New Testament teach- 
ing grew out of, 28. 

Mitchell, E. C. : cited, 22 ; on books 
of the New Testament, 22. 

Moral action : original and free, 
63 ; character of, 63 ; depends on 
what is chosen, 61. 

Moral evil, defined, 97. 

Moral good : defined, 97 ; source 
of, 97. 

Moral law : examined, 59 ; ground 
of, in God's nature, 59 ; requires 
man to be morally like his 
Maker, 60; scriptural teaching 
concerning, 60. 

Morrison, C. B. : his " Proofs of 
Christ's Resurrection from a 
Lawyer's View-point," 156. 

Mosaic ritual shadowed forth the 
atonement, 99. 

Muratori, Ludovicus Antonio, frag- 
ment of, on the canon, 23. 

Natural good, its equivalents, 97. 
Natural evil, denned, 97. 
Nestorius, on union of two natures 
of Christ, 91. 



General Index 



'73 



New birth, by the Holy Spirit, 119. 

New creature, significance of, 120. 

New life, antecedents of, 120. 

New man, distinction between, 
and the old man, 120. 

New Testament: trustworthy, 20; 
tests of the writers of, 20 ; author- 
ship and date of, 21 ; writers of, 
21 ; teaches deity of Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, 25 ; on bipartite 
nature of man, 55; its use of 
" soul " and " spirit," 55 ; writers 
of, affirm deity of the Holy Spirit, 
116 ; teaches the vicarious death 
of Christ, 100; teaches personal- 
ity of the Holy Spirit, 118. 

Newton, Sir Isaac, on God's imma- 
nence in nature, 52. 

Nicodemus, Christ's teaching to, 
125. 

" North American Review," cited, 
35. 

Norton, Andrews, "Genuineness 
of the Gospels," 23. 

Objections: to miracles, 27; with- 
out force beside the facts per- 
taining to Jesus Christ, 28; to 
Scripture on scientific and his- 
toric grounds, 28. 

Old Testament : written by Pales- 
tinian Jews, 33 ; introductions 
and writings on, 33 ; canon of, 
accepted by Jewish people, 33; 
examples from, in the words of 
Peter, 33 ; to be accepted as God's 
word, 34 ; confirms the words of 
Christ and his apostles, 34 ; words 
of, accurate, 34 ; teaching pure 
and powerful, 35 ; historical and 
prophetical evidence in, for the 
deity of Christ, 84 ; contains ex- 
amples of God's purpose in elect- 
ing individuals and peoples, 114. 

Ordinances, Christian, two named 
in the New Testament, 141. 

Paraclete, office of, to show the 



things of Christ to the disciples, 
29. 

Paradise, the state indicated there- 
by, 155. 

Pantheism, rejects the Christian 
religion, 28. 

Park, Dr. E. A. : defines God's 
omnipresence, 48; view of on 
the atonement, 101, 102. 

Parker, Dr. Joseph, 25. 

Pastoral theology, writers on, 139. 

Pastors: scriptural use of the 
word, 139; synonym of elders, 
overseers, bishops, and authority 
of, 139 ; by whom selected, 139 ; 
how inducted into office, 140; 
ordination of, 140 ; influence of, 
140. 

Paul: his discussion of spiritual 
gifts, 30 ; chosen an apostle, 31 ; 
needed apostolic inspiration, 31 ; 
had a variety of gifts, 31; his 
citations from the Old Testa- 
ment, 33 ; Epistles of, 21, 22 ; his 
testimony concerning Jesus 
Christ, 22 ; his doctrine as to the 
body, 58 ; his doctrine as to the 
atonement, 105; his description 
of his gospel, 113; his theme, 
113 ; his figurative reference to 
the new life, 119 ; his teaching 
on spiritual discernment, 122. 

Pelagian theory: on imputation 
of sin, 69 ; on degrees of penalty, 
162; concerning the nature of 
sin, 162. 

Peter, quotation of, from the Old 
Testament, 33. 

Personality of the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, 118. 

Petition, defined, 132. 

Pilate, Pontius, order of, 21. 

Flacean theory of mediate impu- 
tation, 70. 

Pliny, cited, 20. 

Pneumatical body, defined, 157. 

Pneumatology, the doctrine of the 
Holy Spirit, 116. 



'74 



General Index 



Potwin, L. S., view of the atone- 
ment, 103. 

Prayer : nature of, 131 ; answered 
in and through Christ, 132; to 
Christ, accepted by him, 132 ; to 
the Holy Spirit, proper, 132 ; the 
" Lord's Prayer " a type or model 
of, 132 ; requires faith, 132 ; vocal 
or silent, 132; objections to, 132 
f . ; secret of, revealed in the Fa- 
therhood of God, 133 ; God influ- 
enced by, 132 ; God answers, 133 ; 
the exercise of the soul in its 
highest spiritual state, 133 ; full 
answer to, contained in the gift 
of the Holy Spirit, 133. 

Preservation : defined, 53 ; through 
Christ, 52 ; depends on God, 52. 

Procreation theory : sustained, 58 ; 
shows completeness of Christ's 
nature, 59 ; anthropologists' view 
of, 59. 

Probability, the guide of life, 15. 

Prophets : called of God, 34 ; wrote 
for the people, 35. 

Providence : of God defined, 52 ; re- 
lates to all mankind, 52 ; Harris, 
Dr. Samuel, on, in "God the Mak- 
er and Lord of All," Vol. II., 53 ; 
presupposes a plan, 53 ; contains 
the meaning of "fiirsehung " and 
" vorsehung," 53 ; relates to men's 
spiritual welfare, 53 ; to God's co- 
operation andprayer,53; adapted 
to men's moral state, 53 ; special 
in miracles, 54; gracious in 
Christians, 54; particular in all 
things, 54. 

Psalms, moral qualities of, 35. 

Punishment : defined, 72 ; aim of, 
72 ; may prevent crime, 72 ; phys- 
ical environment may have part 
in, 72 ; foretaste of, in this life, 
72; may be merciful in intent, 
72 ; conclusion as to, 73. 

Reconciliation, denned. 96. 
Redemption : denned, 96 ; answers 



the question as to the propaga- 
tion of sinners, 50 ; logical order 
of, 128. 

Regeneration, significance of, 142. 

Religion, comparative, 14. 

Relly, James, his theory of the 
atonement, 105. 

Remission : its meaning, 96 ; not 
without the shedding of blood, 
99. 

Repentance, defined, 122. 

Resurrection : figure of the origin 
of the new life, 120 ; relation of 
to the Christian life, 156; of Christ 
as related to that of man, 156 ; of 
Christ foretold, recalled, ful- 
filled, 156 ; of all believers pre- 
dicted, 156; of men with real 
bodies, 157 ; bodies of raised 
saints in, 157; at the last day, 
160 ; Scripture on, 160 ; the first 
spiritual, 159; the immediate 
antecedent of the last judgment, 
160; unbelievers in the, 162; 
scriptural view of, 162. 

Revelation : progressive, 48 ; the 
book of, records Christ's claim 
to deity, 87. 

Righteousness, God's estimate of, 
98. 

Robinson, Dr. E. G., 27. 

Roman empire, state of, at Christ's 
birth, 83. 

Rothe, Richard: "Still Hours," 
28; as to the words of the Old 
Testament, 34. 

Saints : not to return to preach the 
gospel, 159; to be forever with 
the Lord, 159 ; their change from 
the natural to the spiritual body 
at Christ's word, 160. 

Salvation, relation of Christ to it, 
114. 

Sanctification : defined, 125 ; de- 
pends on justification, 128 ; a pro- 
cess, 128 ; includes consecration, 
131 ; relation of believers to, 131 ; 



General Index 



m 



no evidence of in apostates, 152 
f. ; the period of growth in Chris- 
tian life, 150 ; its period is from 
regeneration until death, 150; 
is partial and progressive in this 
period, 150 ; is given to make one 
holy, 151 ; makes certain growth 
in grace, 151 ; may it be arrested 
and needed a second time ? 151 ; 
reasons for the theory of second 
examined, 152. 

Sanday, W., anthropology of the 
fourth Gospel, 23, 34. 

Satisfaction, terms of, defined, 96. 

Saul, an example of apostasy, 117. 

Schaff, Dr. Philip, 25 ; his " History 
of Christology,"93. 

Scholars, believe Gospels were 
written in the first century, 22. 

Schurman, Dr. J. G., 63. 

Scriptures : defined, 15 ; defended 
against charge of false interpre- 
tation, 43 ; do not conflict with 
science nor history, 43 ; do not 
teach bad morality, 43; teach 
that God is spirit, 47 ; speak of 
God's life as past, present, future, 
48; give evidence of God's pur- 
pose, 48 ; teach the vital connec- 
tion of men with Adam and Eve, 
58; represent all as sinful, 66; 
include bodily death in penalty 
of sin, 66; represent Christ's 
atonement as universal, 66 ; de- 
fended against the charge of 
false interpretation, 43 f. ; views 
of, confirmed by Ovid and Sen- 
eca, 66. 

Seeley, 25. 

Self-sacrifice of Christ: necessity 
of, 97 ; grounds, reasons, motives 
for, 98. 

Septuagint, version quoted by 
Christ and apostles, 43. 

Shedd, Dr. W. G. T. : his "History 
of Christian Doctrine," 70; his 
"Dogmatic Theology," 102; his 
view of the atonement, 104. 



Sin: nature of, 65, 66; compre- 
hended in the word selfishness, 
66. 

Sinfulness: degrees of, 67; effects 
of, on capacity for good, 68. 

Sinner : responsible for lack of 
moral, religious feeling, and life, 
68 ; responsible for deterioration 
of his capacity, 68 ; responsible 
for failure to do good, 68 ; from 
what delivered, 100; what is his 
ransom, 100 ; on what ground 
delivered, 100; required to re- 
pudiate sin and accept Christ, 
101. 

Smith's, Dr. H. B., "System of 
Christian Theology," 53, 63. 

Social worship : place of in Chris- 
tian service, 102; duties and 
benefits of, 102. 

Socinus: moral influence of, 101 ; 
his view of the atonement, 101. 

Soteriology, the doctrine of salva- 
tion, 112. 

Soul : uses of the term, 55 ; its 
leadership, 57 ; transmission of, 
58 f. 

Spirit: communicates directly with 
the body, 55 ; use of the term, 56, 
57 ; destiny of, not bound to that 
of the body, 59. 

Spiritual gifts : discussed, 30 ; of 
apostles superior, 31. 

Strong, Dr. A. H. : his " System- 
atic Theology," 24, 27, 52, 60, 69, 
70, 91, 102; on inspiration, 38; 
states argument of Christ in Mat- 
thew 22, 52 ; on miracles, 27 ; de- 
fines providence, 53 ; on the 
"Didache,"141. 

Students, suggestions to, 15. 

Study, qualifications for, 16. 

Subject, divisions of, 16. 

Substitution, defined, 96. 

Suetonius, cited, 20. 

Saisset, Emil : his " Modern Pan- 
theism," 59 ; his " Kantian Eth- 
ics," 63. 



176 



General Index 



Tacitus, cited, 20. 

Tatiaa, " Diatessaron " of, 23. 

Tertullian : quotes from fourth 
Gospel, 23 ; on the writers of the 
gospel, 23. 

Thanksgiving, in prayer, 131. 

The after life: known by con- 
trasts, 160; its great question, 
161. 

Th eology , systematic, Doctor 
Strong's seventh edition ; prefa- 
tory note, 52. 

Tholuck, defines sheol, 38. 

Thomasius, G. : theory of Christ's 
person and work, 92 ; theory of, 
contrary to claim of Christ, 92. 

Tischendorf: on when the four 
Gospels were written, 23. 

Traducian theory, 71. 

Trench, R. C, synonyms of, 122. 

Trent, council of, 123. 

Trinity : meaning of, 46 ; insepar- 
able, 47: impossible to human 
beings, 46 ; in unity of the God- 
head, 46. 

Tripartite theory, examined, 56. 

Truth : the means of regeneration, 



121 ; indirect action of, 123 ; rela- 
tion of, to sanctification, 131 ; 
used by the Holy Spirit, 131. 
Tyndall, J., and "The Prayer 
Gauge," 132. 

Ullmann, C, his " Sinlessness of 
Christ," 12. 

Valentinus, quotes from fourth 

Gospel, 23. 
Vicariousness, what it represents, 

90. 
Voluntariness of Christ's death, 

emphasized, 108. 
Van Oosterzee, J. J., cited, 130. 

Warrington, on inspiration, 38. 
Weiss, B, on John's Gospel, 23. 
Westcott, B. F. : on genuineness of 

Paul's Epistles, 22 ; on the fourth 

Gospel, 23. 
Whedon, Dr. D. D., cited, 69. 
Worship : defined, 131 ; rendered to 

Christ, 132. 

Young, John, his "Christ of His- 
tory," 25. 



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